


soft and only, lost and lonely (you're just like heaven).

by coffeegaze, Correnteza



Category: Victorious (TV)
Genre: Birthday, Canon Compliant, F/F, Feelings Realization, First Dates, First Kiss, Frenemies, Friends to Lovers, Future Fic, Idiots in Love, Lesbian Jade West, Lesbian Tori Vega, Long Shot, Love Confessions, Making Out, Near Future, One Shot, honestly it's wholesome af guys, soft smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-14
Updated: 2020-05-14
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:33:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 25,924
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24175150
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/coffeegaze/pseuds/coffeegaze, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Correnteza/pseuds/Correnteza
Summary: It's Jade's 21st birthday, and she can't say she's too dreadful that apparently no one remembered.Running into Tori, however, guarantees her day is gonna be special, whether she likes it or not (she does).orTori can barely contain herself over Jade's birthday surprise.
Relationships: Tori Vega/Jade West
Comments: 46
Kudos: 1467





	soft and only, lost and lonely (you're just like heaven).

**Author's Note:**

> HI YES HELLO IT IS I BIG GAY VIC ONCE AGAIN.  
> God, this one took forever to finish. It started as a birthday one-shot we started writing on Liz' last birthday, so, forever ago.  
> This fic is quite literally a love letter to Jori from my wonderful fiancé and I.  
> Follows Tori and Jade's relationship in canon, with added scenarios in the years between when the show ended and their first couple years of college.
> 
> It's soft af and I'm quite proud of this one, so I hope you all enjoy it too!

**soft and only, lost and lonely (you're just like heaven).**

_Okay. Woman up. Act casual. She's your friend. She's just a girl. A stupid.. stupidly gorgeous girl and-- Shit, I'm a mess._

"Jade!" Tori waved from her seat at the park bench, her ice cream melting between her fingers, untouched ever since she'd caught sight of her friend also entering the shop minutes after she walked out.

It was difficult to miss Tori when she wanted your attention, to say the least. Still a little sullen about their friends flocking away to their dumb festival, Jade took her time approaching. Honestly it didn't make any sense why Tori had stayed behind but who was Jade to nitpick at her life?

"Vega. You're dripping, I see," the comment was offered up as Jade took a seat on the park bench, playing with the styrofoam cup her glorified candy sundae sat in. Cat had made her promise to go get ice cream for her since the little redhead wasn't around to physically drag her to do so in their dumb little birthday tradition.

The comment had Tori making a face, so used to Jade's cheeky humor at this point. "Well, it is hot," a kind smile was offered, the singer making sure to quickly make half of her treat disappear so it wouldn't run all the way down her arms. "What are you up to? I never pegged you as an ice cream near the beach kind of girl." She planned on going smooth with this, to slowly figure out Jade's plans in hopes of getting her to accept her company.

Part of Jade wanted to make a comment about the word choice just to live up to her reputation, but instead she stabbed her little plastic spoon into a frozen mound of sweetness. Eating the syrup covered ice cream and chunk of candy bar, she only shook her head at first.

"Cat's living vicariously through me or some crap," she rolled her eyes before looking to Tori. Unfortunately, the other woman was absolutely the kind of person who would go to the beach for some ice cream, and she couldn't decide how much she loathed that.

Sometimes it really felt like Jade had so much in her mind, the way blue eyes studied Tori making it seem like she always had an opinion or two that were most likely kept to herself. But, being the optimistic soul only Tori knew how to be, she told herself maybe the reason Jade didn't share those thoughts was because they were good, or even nice - very unlikely, but it made holding those piercing eyes less intimidating.

"It's sweet - literally - you living Cat's best life for her since she's out of town, but," playfully, a piece of candy was stolen, syrup lingering at the corner of Tori's lips as she ate it with a little smile. "How about we do something you want? We should go out tonight."

Jade cocked her head to the side slowly, as if she was trying to figure out why. All these years and she still didn't understand the other girl, only that Tori had a habit of generally being sincere about whatever it was she was doing. Though, the writer still had her reservations. No one had really seemed to want to make a big deal out of the day for once, and she didn't mind in the slightest, but something just felt weird about Tori trying to change that - even if it was unintentional. 

Yet, it was absolutely something Tori would do.

"Alright," Jade looked back to her dessert to scoop a spoonful dripping with caramel into her mouth, "you have two minutes to sell me on what you want to do. Last time you wanted me to pick was _'scarring and disturbing'._ "

Tori did her very best not to show her excitement about Jade not being as difficult as she’d expected, occupying herself with her own sundae so her friend wouldn’t see the smile threatening to appear. "To be fair, it was." She grinned, playfully bumping their shoulders before regarding her friend with her whole attention. "You know that drive by theater, ten minutes from here? I heard there's gonna be a screening of a horror film by that one director you always make fun of. I thought we could.. maybe buy some food and sweets and laugh at it? It shouldn't be too scary, I'm not gonna die," The words were offered with a chuckle, the slightest hint of a blush coloring tan cheeks at finally sharing the plans she had for their night.

Jade contemplated the offer, lazily crunching through another piece of candy. "Yeah," she eventually nodded, looking to the other girl after another moment. "Although," a smirk slowly appeared, the one that always seemed to creep her friends out, "it being scary has nothing to do with whether or not you're going to die."

Another bite and she was pacified, leaning back against the bench and really just enjoying hiding in the shade. It was interesting, and maybe even a bit considerate of Tori to especially pick something she knew Jade would approve of, and really making fun of a bad movie by an even worse director was too good to pass up.

Tori almost wished the menacing smile and tone was more haunting to her than it was attractive, even though she'd already come to terms with being drawn by Jade's strangeness for a long time. "There's no way in hell you would've handled me for this long if you truly wanted me dead. You aren't pulling a Scissoring on me and we both know it," she smirked too, not as creepy but definitely eerie and charming enough to show how much their friendship had rubbed off on her.

An amused snort met the remark, because, honestly, was Tori even wrong? Jade had endured too many years of the singer sticking around to be going for the long con here, and without another word, a bigger chunk of Snickers was deposited into Tori's cup before she was resuming the elimination of her ice cream. "Well, what time is the showing then?"

Coffee eyes studied Jade curiously, head tilting lightly because the generosity should absolutely be suspicious. Much like a kid - or Cat, honestly - her little smile showed her gratitude and excitement over the gesture, popping it between her lips happily. "Around an hour from now? We could grab stuff to eat on the way. What are you feeling tonight?" As much as Tori wanted to be especially sweet and make sure Jade knew she wanted her to pick what they did for _her_ night, she was aware of how quickly her friend could pull back if it sunk in her birthday was the main reason behind it all.

The pale girl wanted so badly to be wary of Tori pushing all the decisions as up to her, but she couldn't say much about it. It would be far more uncharacteristic for the younger girl to be selfish and be the one to pick what they were doing since Jade was so stubborn. "Yeah, that sounds fine. I don't know, sushi sounds good but so does Chinese. Maybe both." A careless shrug was offered. Wouldn't be the first time they picked up food from multiple places after all. "And a bunch of junk food because fuck living long enough to grow old."

It still amused Tori that she was the one with a black-hole-for-a-stomach reputation when Jade was much _much_ worse. She figured it was about how you did it. Jade could eat 5 pounds of food but still be so classy it looked like nothing. Tori was a little monster.

"How Alaska Young of you," she chuckled before throwing her cup away, thinking the reference would go over Jade’s head. "Shall we go feed ourselves more despite just consuming five days worth of sugar?"

"Hey, hey, hey. Hush. Girl was a mess, but she had some good one liners.” An eyebrow arched at that, a little offended by principle alone. Sure, she would also chainsmoke to die but that was beside the point - Jade wouldn’t stand around for being loosely compared to moody characters in media or literature. "Yeah, let's go. Am I driving or have you decided to kill us both so I can find playlists?" She teased, a hint of a smirk on syrup sweetened lips as her own empty cup was thrown in the trash.

A soft smirk lingered on Tori's lips, head shaking slowly because _God,_ did she miss their constant bickering and how playful it had gotten as the years went by. Tori also decided to let it slide that _Jade West apparently reads mainstream YA books._ It was the girl’s birthday, after all. She’d definitely come back to this and tease her some other time. The question still had her genuinely laughing, a moment after. "I'm fucking gay, Jade. Do I look like I can drive?" In her mind, that logic made perfect sense, so she could only assumed everybody knew that as well.

Jade paused in her tracks for only a moment before rolling her eyes. She should have seen it coming, but it somehow still caught her off guard quite a bit. Perhaps she didn't expect Tori to be so open about it, or she didn't want to think of all their stupid banter and suggestive comments they shared since day one as actual flirting.

"Living up to the useless lesbian trope, fantastic work, Vega." A smirk lingered on her lips as she dug out her keys, shaking her head in mock exasperation. "Who has good Chinese food these days?" The subject shifted casually as Jade unlocked the car.

It'd be such a lie for Tori to tell herself she wasn't kind of really curious about Jade's reaction as soon as it dawned on she'd never actually shared that piece of information with her friend. The joke she got in response instead was pretty much in character for Jade, though, and Tori caught herself smiling at so clearly surprising the other girl. She liked that feeling. Perhaps it meant she was still interesting. "Why, thank you. Can't say college has let me down," she chuckled, getting in the car. "I'd suggest that one lady that funded your play, but I'm pretty sure she was arrested."

"Good riddance to her," Jade huffed, grabbing her phone and doing some browsing before settling for the nearest buffet that didn't have a food poisoning reputation and also offered sushi. Two birds with one knife. "You're still not allowed to touch the radio."

The only thing that kept Tori from fucking with it was the fear of losing a finger or two; she’d love to be difficult, but who the fuck knew how many scissors Jade kept on her these days?

The writer leaned comfortably against her window, driving them off as one of her best rock playlists filled the car. "So why didn't you go with the dumb boys?"

Tori relaxed in her seat as soon as the first song struck her as familiar, shoulder lifting at the question. "I don't really like EDM enough to listen to it for hours. Also, Robbie is unbearable when he's wasted." A chuckle left her, brown eyes turning to the other girl. "Why didn't you?"

 _Because it's my birthday and I wanted to be alone for once and just reflect on what it means to pass another year_ didn't seem like the right answer to say. Especially if Tori wasn't bringing it up, which was a small mercy. Blue eyes remained on the road as a shoulder lifted as well, "Not in the mood for big throngs of people, someone might die."

Tori would never glow about it, but they were both aware of how well they knew each other. Jade's silence had always spoken volumes, and that short answer was no different. She might say she hates birthdays, but everyone likes to be remembered. It took a lot not to mention the whole plan for their night, but Tori chose to wait. She hoped so much the surprise would be worth it.

"Wouldn't that be the coolest part though?" A cheeky smile was offered, Tori playfully poking her friend on her side.

Jade rolled her eyes, slapping the girl's hand lightly out of reflex. "Until I have to deal with the repercussions, yes, it would be glorious." Her fingertips idly travelled the steering wheel, slow wide circles as they neared their destination. "Side note: my greatest achievement will be making everyone believe you were stoned everyday for a year because you were always snacking." It was out of the blue, but memories of their nonsense were shifting through her thoughts and tugging to the surface slowly. Eventually Jade may even have to admit to herself that she didn't hate Tori's company.

The confused face that revelation earned was so comical it was priceless, Tori’s head fully turning so she'd be able to tell if Jade was joking or not. "When the fuck did that happen??" Slowly, the wheels began turning in her head, dumb memories from high school coming back with the comment. "Oh my _God._ That's why Sikowitz once randomly told me the name of a neighborhood and carried on as if it never happened. It was a fucking _suggestion_."

Slowly, a grin spread across Jade's features, "You mean the rumor never even fucking reached you? That makes this all the more priceless, maybe there _is_ a god." The girl behind the wheel was snickering too hard to say much else for a few seconds before glancing over. "Hey, he knew his shit. Any weed I got from his dealer was fucking awesome."

"That one didn't! The one saying I had a sixth toe on my left foot? Yes. The one about me and Trina being secret criminals who could get away with basically anything because our dad's a cop? Sure did. Hell, kids at school knew I was a lesbian before even I figured it out." Tori couldn't say she wasn't amused, a little smile lingering on her lips as her head shook in disbelief. At least Jade seemed to also be pleased by her misfortune.

"That's literally the only one I didn't hear," Jade glanced over for just a moment before she was turning at a light to deposit them neatly at their destination. Already, despite having just had ice cream, her stomach was demanding further sacrifices in its name. 

Tori glanced over just as Jade looked away, head tilting a little at the new information. "For a while I thought you had started it," she said casually, because well, she had. The singer didn't come to the realization she liked girls until their senior year, but as soon as it happened, Jade was the one person she was sure would've known. How could she not with all their flirting?

"I'm so fucking offended that the stoner one never reached you. Especially since we were all convinced it was true."

"But why?? I just like food a lot!" Tori also knew her exasperation would amuse her friend even more, but damn, she could have smoked so much weed in high school without hiding it if she had known about her reputation.

An honest to god _giggle_ left Jade at how distressed Tori sounded in that moment. She shook her head, offering a grin that was lacking any remorse whatsoever. "Because between you snacking every time I saw you and staring into my cleavage for hours at a time, I thought you were too toasted to focus on anything other than food and boobs." With that, she slipped out of the car, retrieving her bag from the back to sling over her shoulder as she kindly waited for Tori before starting towards the entrance.

_Shit shit shit oh god oh god oh god._

Tori was too caught up in how cute that giggle was to hold her guard up, the casual accusation making her freeze as she watched Jade leave the vehicle. It took her at least thirty seconds to walk out as well, face as red as Cat's hair. She approached Jade with a sheepish smile, rubbing the back of her neck. "In my defense, any staring prior to senior year was subconscious. You can't hold baby gay Tori against me. That's homophobia right there."

"Was it though?" Jade teased, eyes shining at a new opportunity to tease her friend. "Besides, what's your excuse for the staring during senior year then?" An eyebrow arched expectantly as she pulled the door open, even allowing Tori to step inside first before following and requesting a table for the two of them. She was enjoying how flustered Tori was, really that was all the birthday gift she needed, the chance to mess with her a bit before they had to deal with their friends being excited idiots over the show they went to.

The younger girl took her time, taking those few moments of them finding a comfortable spot to think her answer through, knowing Jade would push as much as she could as long as she knew she wasn't making her uncomfortable. Which, Jade wasn't at all, Tori really was just a goddamn mess.

"That's easy," she began once they took a seat. "You're gorgeous and aware of it. Confidence is incredibly attractive." It wasn't like Tori herself felt too confident at that moment, her stomach tugging and tightening in nervousness, this being the second time in her life she recalled calling Jade pretty to her face, at least. She was still blushing and she was still quite timid, but this is how it worked with them. Tori liked pushing herself to match the challenge, liked the surprised response it always got from Jade, when she did.

Slowly, the writer’s head tilted as she studied Tori across the table from her, genuinely at a loss for words. Jade had expected something playful and maybe a little teasing from Tori herself, but not what she had actually received. The problem was that with the girl before her, all of those remarks were genuine, especially given how rare they were. So being told she was aesthetically pleasing to Tori for maybe the third time - that time Tori was drunk on her knees while Jade rubbed her back didn't count - felt like a bit of pressure to find the right thing to say.

Jade blew it anyway. "So you're admitting, after all these years, that you're attracted to me." It was easier to take this playful approach than to be sincere and direct and process why those words had warmed her own cheeks.

"I am," Tori replied softly, brown eyes gently glowing in the cozy lights of the restaurant, trying to read Jade and having the same success she's had with it for the past five years. _There’s no reason to freak out,_ she told herself. It's not like she was confessing her actual feelings - Tori wanted to, and even if this felt like the best opportunity she had ever had to do so, she decided it’d be better to take it slow. You never know it, with Jade. Maybe the pale girl needed time to process this first, the soft blush upon her cheeks being a strong indication.

"Shortly after I came out, Trina made a comment you would've praised her for. She said, and I quote, 'you like women who look like they can murder you and I respect that'. She wasn't wrong." A playful smile danced on her lips, eyebrows wigging a little at her friend.

Jade snickered, eyes rolling in a perfect circle as she accepted her drink and studied Tori for a few moments, gaze full of dark promise. "Wow, taking me for dinner and then telling me so blatantly that I'm your type. Is this supposed to be a date, Vega?" A slow sip was pulled from her straw before she rose from her seat and beckoned her friend after her to approach the waiting trays of food and take their picks. 

Tan cheeks heated up at the blunt words, the singer well familiar with Jade's flirty comments but somehow, it felt _different_ after Tori had made it clear she found her attractive. Taking a deep breath, she walked in front of Jade at the buffet, going for one of the chicken trails the woman hadn't reached yet. "Why not? Our first one didn't really count, right?" Tori flashed the girl a sweet smile, taking advantage of being first in line now to look away, filling her plate with some chow mein. Truth was, it had meant something to her back then, but she wasn't about to admit that when that night could've been miserable to Jade for all she knew. They never talked about it afterwards, and both avoided going to Nozu’s alone again ever since. Maybe it _had_ only meant a grade in Sikowitz’s class.

Unfortunately for Tori, her advantage in line didn't last long, Jade skirting around her to help herself to some of the hot dog pieces wrapped in biscuit and two skewers of grilled food. "So your plan was to just hunt me down today and take me on a date with you without even giving me a chance to pick something to wear to really torment you? That's kind of rude, Vega." 

Jade wasn't sure what to make of their banter today because, sure, while that was the norm for them, it was different knowing that Tori was actively attracted to her. Finally, the sushi table came up, and her plate was leaving little doubt as to who really had the monstrous appetite between them.

Brown eyes simply watched her years long crush go for a few moments, only moving again when someone appeared behind them. Her head shook slowly, amusement and a little bit of shame taking over her features as she studied her friend, inching a little closer to get a few pieces of sushi for herself. "I thought we've established you don't really need to dress up to do that," Tori tried to hide a smile, feeling brave for only a moment as her gaze so clearly roamed Jade's body. "You really don't." With that, she turned back around, walking to their table and trying to calm her heart because _fuck fuck fuck._

The writer seemed determined to reclaim the upper hand, though, knocking Tori from the comfort of having some physical distance between them by sitting right next to her side of the table _._ "We have established that, but that doesn't mean I won't elect to dress up for you anyway. I do have standards to uphold myself to."

Well, Jade may as well accept whatever this new evolution was. She wanted to explore it, see where their line between sincerity and joking blurred now that it had been shifted. "Besides, why not remind you you could be kicking yourself for missing out on a plunge neckline?" A hint of a smirk lingered on her lips as a forkful of rice was taken.

Tori really felt like she was less awkward around girls these days, but it was so hard not to regress right back to her eighteen year old self - barely able to get a sentence out to a woman without blushing like a gay mess - when Jade was laying out the charm so heavily on her. She managed to keep her composure at the mere thought of the girl beside her wearing an outfit like that, mind unable to get past the first comment. "You would.. dress up for me?" It was a bit shy and painfully sweet, Tori's head tilting gently as she tried to read the ridiculously attractive woman now stuffing her face with Chinese.

Tori watched her “date” for the night, noticing the way she had to pause in her feasting to chew what was already in her mouth slowly and stall for a little time. She waited patiently, chewing on her bottom lip as Jade gently cleared her throat. "Did I stutter?" Blue eyes held rich brown as the pale girl studied her thoughtfully. "Besides, why wouldn't I?" The words were simple and for once without bite as Jade looked back to the plate before her and took a slow sip of her drink. 

The singer made sure not to stare, starting on her own - way more modest - plate. The words weren't uncharacteristic of Jade in the slightest, but it still amused her deeply, the way this girl ran from confrontation while still being a little harsh at the same time. It made absolutely no sense and Tori found it hilarious. Maybe she wasn’t the only one with shit to unpack here.

"I just couldn't ever imagine you wanting to impress me," she finally said, lifting a shoulder. It wasn't pitiful at all, just honest. Telling herself it was just to distract Jade from that somewhat vulnerable answer and _not_ because she wanted to work her friend up at all, Tori stole an egg roll from her mountain, hiding a smile as she bit into it.

Obviously, it earned her a sharp smack on the arm and a knife vaguely brandished in front of her amused face in warning, Jade’s signature eyebrow arch certainly _meant_ to intimidate her. "One, I need to impress no one. Two, if I were looking to impress you, dressing up isn't the route I would take. Three, if you take anything else off my plate I will remove and eat your kidney in front of everyone. I don't tolerate that shit until you reach Cat's rank."

"Kinky," Tori chuckled behind her hand, still chewing the stolen egg roll. When she did swallow, her fingers curled gently around a pale wrist, lowering Jade's hand without really looking away from her eyes. "Chill, I just forgot to take some from the buffet. Why so defensive all of the sudden?" Tori wasn't looking for a slap across the face, the words weren't even as taunting as she usually was when trying to piss off the girl. It was just.. intriguing, Jade's defensiveness considering their current subject. 

Not even trying to catch her friend off guard, Tori's head tilted as her thoughts took another segway. "What _would_ you do if you wanted to impress me?"

"No, kinky would be telling you if you do it again I'll bend you over the table," Jade snorted, blue eyes rolling at the word. She still wasn't unaccustomed to the way Tori's fingers wrapped around her wrist, but it still caught her off guard nonetheless. Bristling a little, the writer just made a noncommittal sound and stabbed a piece of chicken before popping it into her mouth. It didn’t seem worth getting into something stupid. It was likely for the best that Tori wisely chose a new topic as Jade worked on her soda, though Jade wasn't sure she wanted to answer that one either. That would mean admitting to having actually given it more than a second's thought. 

To Tori, it was so puzzling to watch Jade sort out her thoughts, her face seemingly reserved as the wheels so clearly turned in her mind. She waited patiently, eyebrows raising in surprise at the thoughtful answer she got. "It's easy to impress you,” the pale girl started, dividing up her rice and mixing one of her two portions into the waiting sauce as she tried not to make a mess. “I don’t need to dress up for you, just show a hint of cleavage, really. You get impressed if I actually show you something I’ve worked on or am presently working on. All I have to do to impress you is just remind you I find you worth talking to.”

They'd known each other long enough to _really know_ one another, but it was still a surprise to learn Jade apparently _did_ pay attention to the things Tori might have once shown were meaningful to her. It wasn't the answer she expected at all, so much so that it was obvious by the warmth upon tan cheeks and the way brown eyes switched back to her own plate right away.

"It's a combination of things. It surprises me when you show me your projects almost as much as the craft itself fascinates me. I like the way your mind works." Tori admitted quietly, occupying herself with the chow mein because she really didn't expect the tables to turn so quickly and put her on blast like this.

"Yeah well... I refuse to be mediocre at something I actually care about," Jade said just as softly as she delicately picket on her food, avoiding those soft eyes. She looked like she took obvious pride in having taken Tori by surprise with her answer. "Maybe if you convince me to give you a second date I'll let you see something." It was unnerving. Sure, Tori wasn't the only one to show interest in her work, but it just felt strangely intimate having Tori fuss over it and analyze how Jade worked. She wouldn't call it intimidating but maybe it was close.

Rich brown eyes lifted to gaze at the actress, studying delicate features and ultimately deciding she liked the traces of softness she saw. Tori liked it a lot. "So it is a date." It wasn't a question, a cheeky smile dancing on her lips despite her trying to hide it. "Well, I hope the movie is cringy enough to amuse you, cause I'd really like to see something new of yours." Somehow, Tori made the sweetest words and gestures seem casual, unceremoniously placing a piece of salmon on top of Jade's pile of rice when she noticed that was the one fish the girl hadn't gotten for herself.

Jade found her eyes rolling yet again, a smirk on her lips, "You did admit that yourself already. And we'll just have to wait and see, won't we? I don't even see why I fascinate you so much, but I'll accept it." She tilted her head at the offering and in return allowed the singer another singular eggroll. The piece of salmon was soon in her mouth, the younger girl looking away so she wouldn’t laugh at how _full_ Jade’s mouth was. Secretly, she wondered if their evening so far met the standards Jade would usually put a date to. 

Tori missed this. She really did. It wasn’t like they hung out alone frequently nowadays - they did on such rare occasions it was hard for her to even compare tonight to other events. Even if this wasn’t high school anymore, whenever they were with the group and the two of them got a chance to talk alone, things would flow with such ease. It only got better and more comfortable with each passing year, and Tori couldn't help but wonder if Jade considered her as close a friend as she did.

"I'll go get a refill, do you want one too?" The singer asked softly after a few minutes, hand resting gently on Jade's shoulder without even realizing it.

"Yeah, that doesn't sound bad," Jade agreed, not budging to let Tori out just to be a little difficult, probably to make up for all the mushy crap they'd been saying. Innocent eyes met Tori as if to ask what the hold up was, studying those coffee ones for long seconds. Jade looked almost thoughtful, taking her in with too much amusement for her liking. 

Tori waited patiently for her friend to move, maybe she had caught her with a full mouth or something? But, nah, after a whole ass minute she knew Jade was just trying to be cute. "Excuse me, am I really gonna have to climb over you?" She grinned, stealing the last egg roll from Jade's plate.

"Perhaps," Jade didn’t even bother hiding her smirk, smacking that nosey hand away as she took her damn time picking from her plate. Only when Tori finally decided to risk it and climb over her lap, the writer rose from her seat at the same time, nearly knocking the poor girl off of the booth.

“You _totally_ did that on purpose!!” Tori huffed, awkwardly fixing her clothes on her way to the refill machines. 

Jade, on the other hand, looked incredibly satisfied with herself. “Of course I did, you dumbass.”

By the time Tori was back, the pale girl had somehow gone to the buffet a second time and sat back down, an even bigger mountain sitting in front of her this time - conveniently, not a single eggroll in sight, Tori strongly suspecting her friend avoided them _just_ so she wouldn’t try to steal more.

"And somehow I was on the bad end of the stoner rumours?" Her smile was cheeky, not fearing death for even a second as she stole some chicken anyway.

"Well yeah, deflecting attention onto you means I can do whatever and everyone is too busy trying to figure out if you really are a functioning stoner." Jade grinned, sipping her soda slowly, clearly appreciating that the singer got them refills without complaining, considering it fair payment for all of the food she was stealing. Pulling out her usual Southern Belle Tori accent, she batted her lashes at the girl beside her, "Why thanks, sug."

Blindly kind like only Tori could be, she really thought Jade would take the gesture without being a little shit, but as usual that wasn't the case. "How many times do I have to tell you, _I don't talk like that!"_ She wasn't half as worked up as she usually got at this, in fact Tori wore the dumbest smile, playfully giving the girl a little push.

The indignant phrase earned a rather devious series of giggles, a pale hand lightly pushing Tori back. Jade even dropped a piece of sushi onto the singer's plate before continuing her steady demolition of what was on her plate. "Don't you though?" The words were so obviously full of amusement that she hated herself just a little.

Tori softened quite visibly at how easily the two of them had seemed to get comfortable with each other. She couldn't help watching her dumb friend, head shaking at how Jade made it look like she hadn't had a bite in two years. "Where did you even get that voice from?" She still remembered the first time Jade mocked her like that, and how stupidly angry it had made her. It seemed so silly and pointless now.

Blue eyes were so full of faux innocence as Jade slowly leaned her weight against Tori, "From you, obviously," she deadpanned before offering a shrug, unable to keep hiding her smirk. "It suited you very well, whether you admit that or not." Tori’s eyes followed the writer’s every move, doing her best not to burst out laughing at this fucking idiot gradually leaning into her more, pressing her into the corner of the booth.

"No, it.. doesn't, it.. it really.." Tori lost it half way through her sentence, letting Jade crush them both against the window, too amused to push back. "May I help you?" She giggled, poking the woman on both sides, this close to tickling Jade if she kept it up.

The laughter was infectious, Jade chuckling quietly as she made herself comfortable and continued eating, stealing a sip of Tori's soda before elbowing her in the ribs. "You may not, but I'll keep the offer in mind." 

Tori scoffed, back now against the wall as she accepted that this was how Jade was going to stay until she finished her meal, just to be difficult. Inside, the singer was, well, a mess, being close to Jade like this not at all something she often got the chance to do, but she couldn't let it show. Besides, it was hard to take anything serious when Jade was laughing too, the sound alone making Tori's stomach flutter. "Hey, hey, hey! I thought we established beautiful young doctors are the only ones who I can share a soda pop with!" She popped the 'p', going right back to the annoying southern voice Jade used to mock her in.

Blue eyes locked into coffee brown ones, picking up the glass again and proceeding to take the most annoying audible sip she possibly could. "So you're admitting that I'm right?" Her lips twitched into a smirk that she soon hid again, feigning a hurt expression, "And implying that I couldn't be a doctor, apparently." 

"Absolutely not, but your laugh amuses me," The younger girl went with that over admitting that hearing Jade's laugh made her _happy,_ the following comment earning an eyeroll. "I'm not implying, you can't. Last time you were allowed inside a hospital we had to hunt you down in the pediatric aisle cause you kept making kids shit themselves." 

A lazy yawn slipped from Jade's jaws, pulling her plate closer so she could settle for poking at her food as it slowly sunk in she might have gone a bit overboard. "Look, the brats had it coming, and they should thank me for helping clean their systems out. People pay for cleanses to do that all the time." 

"Ew, Jade, what the hell," A soft laugh left Tori's lips, not believing the words considering they were eating - well, at least at this point Jade was pretending to. Coffee eyes fell on her friend, all cuddled up to her side, clearly content with their position and the unhealthy food in her system. 

If somebody told her five years ago that she'd be having dinner with Jade West, laughing at all the stupid teasing she put Tori through, sharing food and that Jade would be comfortable enough to settle against her like this, Tori would've punched their teeth - both out of disbelief and gay panic at the mere absurdity of the idea.

Yet now, here she was, arm slowly, almost timidly wrapping around the girl's waist, hand gently rubbing her back. _Can she feel how fast my heart is beating?_

"Nn.. you can't do that, I'll get comfy and fall asleep," Jade's voice was almost whiney as she closed her eyes for just a few moments before continuing her meal, oblivious to what the cuteness was doing to her friend.

Tori's heart danced in her chest, hand actually stopping for a few moments in surprise. It's not like she hadn't seen this softer side of Jade before - she'd get way less grumpy and almost as cute whenever they had a sleepover, but Cat was usually the one who got to cuddle up to Jade. It was never like this, and Tori didn't know what to do with herself.

"Then maybe save your stomach for our snacks, sleepyhead," she chuckled, hand slowly returning to the soothing motions. Her eyes moved to her glass, needing a second to take a breath and ignore the sudden urge to place a soft kiss to Jade's forehead.

"What are we getting?" Came the little murmur, Jade clearly weighing if halting her feast was worth it or if she wanted to get a few more pieces in. With how nice and quiet the restaurant was, even more with the air conditioning right above their table, it was only a matter of time before the writer actually dozed off on her.

"I thought we could get sweets since we haven't had dessert," The singer offered, straightening up a little once Jade sat up, clearing her throat. "I'll buy you coffee on the way." It wasn't really an offer, considering she learned over the years how much Jade liked it better when people were decisive, rather than passive about everything.

Jade simply nodded her agreement, finishing her own glass and stretching her legs out before taking their slip and slowly rising. "Let's go then. You can get a hot chocolate or some shit. And watch me ingest more sugar in a single drink than Cat with four bags of candy." Internally, Jade was complaining about having to get up, but she would live. Maybe later she would lay on Tori again. 

Not that she wanted to or anything. She was just comfy, that was all.

"I can't wait. Sugar high!Jade is my favorite Jade," Tori smirked, having a last sip herself before getting up to stretch as well.

The singer waited for the girl to collect her stuff before walking up to the cashier. She took her wallet out, not even thinking about it much as she covered their bill, making sure to get them both a fortune cookie.

"Thank you," Tori could feel blue eyes studying her silently, wondering if it bothered Jade or if it was flattering. It was a _date,_ after all. She wanted to make a good impression.

Handing Jade her cookie, she waited to see what her friend’s said before cracking her own. It was a pleasant surprise when Jade didn’t just eat the thing without removing the fortune, like a monster would, eyes rolling in annoyance.

“That bad?” Tori chuckled, gently grabbing the crumbled piece of paper before it could be thrown away. ‘ _A hunch is creativity trying to tell you something.’_ “Come on, it’s cute. Robbie has gotten way worse.” A cheeky smile graced her lips as she cracked her own cookie, curious brown eyes reading the fortune over a few times. “‘Persist on good deeds. While not always apparent, kindness is highly appreciated. That’s sweet!”

"They're dumb," Jade shook her head, grabbing both papers and tossing them in the trash can before pulling open the door and heading into the little donut shop across the street, leaving Tori to follow behind her. Thankfully, there didn't seem to be a line, and Jade leaned against the counter as she skimmed the menu needlessly, waiting for someone to approach for their orders.

"An extra large iced coffee, caramel-mocha swirl, light and sweet, extra liquid sugar." With that, blue eyes were on Tori to see what her friend wanted.

Brown eyes watched with amusement at that order that could only be described as a seven year old's dream. "I'll just have a large black coffee, please. Make it strong?" She smiled at the employee, turning to her friend with a smirk. "I'm starting to think this is some Freaky Friday shit."

Jade simply smirked in response, "You should be so lucky. If I'm going to be awake for a bad movie, I need to load up on sugar. You’re gonna have to deal with it." She added a box of donuts to their order, selecting six she wanted and leaving the other half up to Tori. Once everything was on the counter, Jade paid for their post dinner snack and took a long drink, making a face at how sweet it was. "Yeah, I'm gonna be like Cat on crack. Perfect."

Tori snorted into her cup at the comment, coughing a little so she couldn't choke. "Shut up, let's go," she chuckled, fingers gently curling around a pale wrist to tug the idiot outside. "This is honestly the true friendship test. If I can handle you after that drink, I can take on anything."

Jade chuckled at the remark, loading the donuts carefully into her car and swirling her drink around to mix it a little before her next large sip. "Wanna just go in that store or the place closer to the drive in?" She nodded to the convenience store across the street from them, expectant eyes finding Tori again.

Tori would have commented on them already having all the snacks they needed, but the hopeful look in those blue eyes changed her mind without Jade even needing to say a word. "Come on, you dork," she laughed softly, the fingers that never left Jade's wrist gently tugging her on again, guiding them to the store in question, _knowing_ she’d regret this so much.

She should have feared the actual grin in Jade’s lips at that little victory, the pale girl looking around as soon as they stepped in, picking up the biggest basket they offered. Red flag number one _was_ that big ass basket. Red flag number two was Jade starting in the cookie aisle. Red flag number three was proceeding to chips. Red flags four through ten were everything that went into the basket before its owner turned to Tori to see if they forgot anything.

"Jade." Tori's voice was careful, though her face showed how much she wanted to laugh. "I don't know how to tell you this without breaking your heart, but we aren't going on a trip," she grinned, taking out a few items that had been multiplied by five in Jade's hands.

"Okay, but consider," Jade began, sneaking a bag back in, "we totally could. Just drive around for a few hours snacking after the shitty movie." She and Cat did it all the time, sometimes with Andre or Robbie. Plus, all of those snacks were just so fucking good and her coffee was already a third of the way gone.

Tori's eyes were nothing but soft as she just as smoothly took the damn bag out again, head tilting a little as she studied her friend. "Next time. I'll make it worth your while," she smiled, searching blue eyes for any sign of this being just a heat of the moment kind of thing. "You're not driving tonight for that long, miss I Almost Fell Asleep At the Restaurant."

An actual pout graced full lips - maybe Jade and Cat really had somehow switched personalities tonight. "That's what this was for," she pointed out, holding up her cup and gently shaking it to make the ice clatter together. Jade had so many things to pick at in that promise - the implication of a second date, the words immediately after - yet her already sugar induced brain was more focused on sulking that Tori was potentially cutting their hang out time off early tonight.

It was slowly killing Tori, the way Jade seemed completely unaware of how fucking cute she was being, and almost as if reading the girl's mind, her voice softened, "There's somewhere I want to go after the movie." She offered, coffee eyes holding those blue ones captive for several moments before she took hold of their basket. "Shall we?"

That pacified Jade enough for the girl to nod and release it. "Yeah, don't wanna be late," she agreed, not even aware of what time it was and how long they had to get to their next destination. It surprised Tori, how she didn’t ask where they were headed after this, but maybe it was for the best. Jade was already softening her up too much, catching her off guard numerous times throughout the night, she didn’t want to stumble over her own words and ruin the surprise she’d planned out.

A sweet smile graced Tori's lips just thinking about it, swaying the basket lazily as they walked to the cashier. She had a little bounce to her step, and to anyone that looked, these two idiots were absolutely enjoying themselves tonight.

Once again, Tori took initiative to pay for their treats. "Do you wanna get us a few bottles of water?" She asked Jade, nodding at the fridge a few feet away. 

While her friend grabbed them the drinks, Tori didn't fail to notice the cashier smiling to herself.

"What?"

"You and your girlfriend are cute."

Before she could reply, Jade had already returned with the water, setting it on the belt and apparently deciding to see just how flustered she could leave Tori. Slowly, cool arms slipped around her from behind, sharp chin softly resting on her shoulder. “Thank you babe,” Jade purred almost sweetly, lips grazing a tan cheek with each word.

It didn’t matter how many innuendos they made or how inappropriate they’d be when flirting with each other, it was the simple, soft actions that always ruined Tori the most. “Oh, we’re.. We’re, uhm-” She tried to answer the cashier, but words died on her tongue with her crush holding her like that. Her mind was running a million miles per hour as she tried to wrap her thoughts around the newness of it, already knowing she wouldn’t be able to stop thinking about this for ages, even if it was just a joke.

Tori finally forced her hands to move again, paying the cashier and ignoring her stupid smile. Coffee eyes gazed at Jade for a second, the singer leaning into the embrace just a little, grateful her friend decided to take it upon herself to finish her sentence for her. “We’re on our way to the drive in,” Jade offered, nuzzling her face into Tori’s neck for half a second before letting go of her to grab their bags.

 _God,_ how could Jade even know little things like this were what made her weak? Her body was still shivering a little, heated skin tingling where the girl's cold nose had been. A sigh of relief left Tori once the other girl turned to the exit, a polite smile offered to the cashier, so out of character for Jade it made Tori dizzy. Her face was still a goddamn tomato by the time they reached the car, chocolate eyes curiously studying Jade when she thought the girl wasn't looking, trying to decipher what the fuck was that all about.

Rather than speaking, Jade let the radio fill the silence as she drove them to their next destination, pleased by the promise of snacks and a good laugh. It took a couple of minutes, but soon Tori relaxed again, head sticking out the window with a content smile, allowing the night breeze to kiss her tanned skin. 

"Can I?" She pointed at the aux cord, waiting for a confirmation before plugging her phone in. There was so many songs to choose from to be gay, but she settled for Just Like Heaven. It had absolutely _not_ become one of her favorite songs after Jade posted a cover of it back in junior year.

 _"Show me, show me, show me how you do that trick? The one that makes me scream, she said. The one that makes me laugh, she said, and threw her arms around my neck,"_ Tori sang with a smile, head turning dramatically towards Jade, a fist for a microphone in front of her dumb lips.

Perhaps it was the sugar that made Jade agree to being stupid with her, surrendering control of the music as she drove, and perhaps it was the sugar that made her own head turn just as dramatically and blue eyes lock onto brown. She didn't want to let on that she knew the song just to be difficult, but another sip and her own voice was rising over the music. _"Show me how you do it and I'll promise you, I'll promise that I'll run away with you, I'll run away with you."_ Her gaze returned to the road, and maybe they were speeding a little as Jade opened the sun roof for some cool evening air. 

Tori didn’t fail to notice the gentle color upon pale cheeks, the sweetest giggle slipping as she watched her friend give in to the classic song and be a dork with her, chocolate colored eyes shining. She made sure not to distract Jade too much from the road, but that didn't mean she wouldn't be as extra as she could, arms out in the night air as lyrics fell effortlessly from her lips, _"Daylight licked me into shape, I must have been asleep for days. And moving lips to breathe her name, I opened up my eyes... And found myself alone, alone, alone above a raging sea, that stole the only girl I loved and drowned her deep inside of meee,"_ Tori's smile alone was enough to light up an entire town, head falling dramatically on Jade's shoulder when the chorus came. _"You, soft and only. You, lost and lonely. Yooou, strange as angels. You're just a like a dream, you're just like heaveeen."_

"I guess you don't sound half bad," Jade murmured, hiding her smile. Her fingers turned the dial way up when the next song started, letting Tori goof off and allowing herself to just relax for a few moments. She wasn't sure when her fingers had begun to idly trace the soft flesh of her friend's forearm, silently mapping her thoughts out on that canvas. 

A small part of her questioned if Tori had forgotten too, though she wasn't sure why the idea bothered her. Surely Tori was the type of person to insist on a get together with their friends, so it was for the best she didn't seem to remember. Right?

"Look at you, always so generous with your compliments whenever we go out," Tori's smile a little cheeky too, the memory of that dumb 'date' they shared years prior always making her stomach flutter. It had been the first and only time Jade called her pretty, and it still made her flustered to remember. 

It also wasn't like the effect the girl had on her had lessened at all over the years, the soft, gentle motion making Tori's fingers itch to hold pale ones, cheeks warming with the cutest blush.

That actually earned a chuckle, "What, am I coming on too strong?" Jade teased softly, pale fingers delicately swirling over Tori's wrist slowly. She felt her own chest tighten just a little as unbidden, the image of the singer resting her head on her chest came to her thoughts. Jade shooed that thought away, telling herself it was just the melancholy of potentially being forgotten by everyone that made her stupid and touchy today.

"Not at all," It was softer, coffee eyes finding blue ones by accident, a shy smile dancing on Tori's lips as she looked away, gaze turning to the streetlights coloring their night. Slowly, her right hand rested on her lap too, thumb so gently brushing one of Jade's fingers that played on her wrist.

Surprisingly, Jade was the one to seek out the touch further, hand gravitating closer to the offending thumb again and again as her fingers spelled out idle promises on the sensitive flesh. Her drink was long gone by now, but the sugar was strong in her system, making pale fingers tremble slightly. 

_"Just another word to tell the same old story I've already heard. No one knows why I've been acting so strangely. They all should just let me be. Cause I don't know if there's a cure to stop me from feeling insecure. I just want to be sure that, maybe.._ " The words with the song playing were little more than an absent murmur, Jade on autopilot as she drove them.

It caught Tori off guard, the change in the mood. She didn't even remember having that song on her playlist, but Jade seemed to like it, so she let it play. Her eyes closed for several verses, just listening to her friend getting lost in her own feelings for a change, fingers playing mindlessly with cold ones. She tried really hard to keep her stupid hopes to herself, appreciating Jade's singing as nothing too deep, nothing like what she hoped it meant.

"Your voice is beautiful." The words eventually left her lips, brown eyes finally turning to the driver once more. Tori had always been vocal about how talented her friends were, but this was different. She hoped Jade truly knew how good she was.

Jade's fingers fit so neatly in the spaces between Tori's for fleeting milliseconds every so often, almost reluctantly turning into the lot they needed. It was clear the words had pulled the writer from her thoughts, gaze searching her friend’s for a moment. "Thank you," she said simply, rolling the window down to pay for their tickets and using that as a distraction not to have to say more. 

Jade guided the car along to the waiting screens, only returning her gaze to Tori’s when they were parked, the barest hint of mischief in her eyes. "You know, we could get a bucket of loaded fries here too..." 

Tori still lingered in the tender moment, her fingers tingling where Jade's had touched, ultimately deciding that song, while vulnerable, hadn’t been bad. _She’s still holding my hand, so..._

The singer was pulled out of her gay thoughts when her friend spoke, eyes rolling in a nearly perfect circle at the words. "You're such a little shit," Tori chuckled, unbuckling her seatbelt and then reaching for the door. "Don't move." She warned Jade with a firm finger, much like she would do when they were younger.

"I'm staying here because I _wanna_ stay here," Jade huffed, taking over the aux cord again to soothe some of her music cravings before they got settled in. Obediently, by some miracle, she stayed in the car, just reaching into the backseat for a bottle of water to work on, so generous and polite she waited until Tori returned with their fries to think about opening the rest of their snacks.

As Tori bought their fries, her gaze would wander back to the car far too often, just admiring Jade, as she always did whenever she got away with stealing glances. More than once, though, blue eyes caught her, sharp cheekbones turning pink every damn time.

"There you go," she offered, getting comfortable in her seat again a few minutes later. Tori knew she had to keep her feelings at bay, not wanting her hopes to come crashing down in case nothing came out of this slight shift in their dynamic... but _God,_ this felt so much like a date it was killing her. The best one she'd had in a long time.

Jade voiced her approval before promptly sticking five fries slathered in cheese, bacon, sour cream and a little chill into her mouth. She was even generous enough to hand Tori the box of donuts to pick from as she made herself more comfortable in her seat, turning the radio to the proper station so they could hear the ads and previews currently running. Tori should’ve known every act of kindness from Jade came with a catch, though, the older girl flashing her a devious grin as a warning before the cheese on her lips met a tan cheek, Jade getting cozy again right after, tucking a leg on the seat with herself.

That kiss took Tori by surprise, even if the purpose was to make her face all gross. Her skin burned, to a point it'd be impossible for Jade not to notice, a silly smile threatening to take over her lips as she bit into a donut timidly, fingers rising to wipe off the fake cheese but lingering on her cheek a little.

From the corner of her eye, she could see Jade pretending not to notice the action, a smile threatening to grow on the writer’s lips as she looked away politely, distracting herself with more fries. "You good?" Jade elbowed her friend's ribs gently as she pointed out the docile approach to donuts, which were usually right up Tori's alley.

The words had Tori nodding eagerly, failing miserably in hiding the gay mess that she was. "Yeah, great," the smile she offered Jade was nothing but sincere, though she was saved from the teasing by the movie finally starting. Leaning back in her seat, she allowed herself to get comfy as she worked her way through her donuts. Brown eyes would steal glances in Jade's way every few minutes, heart dancing in her chest at how beautiful she looked with only the bright lights from the screen illuminating her features.

She only stopped being so obvious when Jade moved the bucket her way, hearing the girl scoff at the director’s name spreading across the screen in the opening credits. "I fucking hate him and the only divine justice there is in this world lies in that he keeps making a laughing stock of himself without anyone else lifting a finger to." Perhaps Jade was a bit more passionate about the topic than she realized.

The singer listened to the well expected complaints, a shit eating grin taking over her lips. "I know you do, you have more talent in your toe than he has in his whole goddamn body," she chuckled, taking a few sips from her water to wash the incredibly unhealthy crap they were eating down a bit.

"You're damn fucking right I do, he can rot. But god forfucking bid that I'm the one getting name recognition or funding, no, I'm stuck in this fucking landmine sitting on my ass." Jade grumbled, her fingers returning to search the bucket.

"Shhh, there, there.." Tori bit her tongue so she wouldn't crack up at Jade's indignation, hand gently patting the girl's hair playfully. The upper hand quickly shifted when her fingers brushed softly against cold ones in the bucket, the gay little moment leaving Tori’s guard down for Jade to immobilize her hand and use her own free one to steal the fry with the most sour cream on it, much like a child.

"Jaaade, come on!!" Tori laughed, slapping the idiot's wrist so she'd let go. It wasn’t like she minded her friend's hand in hers, but she didn’t care for Jade being a little shit. A loud _shhhhh!_ coming from some other car had her giggling, leaning in to playfully bite Jade's shoulder when freeing her hand didn't work.

Tori watched as Jade whipped right the fuck around to really give them something to shush, but had her attention again before the girl could yell something. The hand still gripping hers only squeezed it tighter, a playful smirk on Jade’s lips at the bite, "Oh, but I'm the kinky one, Vega?

Despite the blush upon her cheeks, Tori wore a cheeky little smile. "Never said I wasn't," there it was, that damn giggle again, the singer allowing herself to stuff her face because she'd been pretty tame when it came to food so far.

Chuckling at her friend getting a little brave, Jade changed the topic before Tori got to glow too much about her comment. "I can't believe all these idiots actually came to see this shit show," she mumbled, taking another long sip of water before resting her hand on a tan thigh.

"Maybe most of them share our incredible sense of humor? Expect for shhhh guy other there. He can choke." Almost as if the Universe wanted to mock her, just when Tori began feeling proud for not being too much of a lesbian mess, she feels the touch on her thigh. 

_Fuck fuck shit fuck oh god oh God._ Heat rushed right back to tan cheeks, the singer stuffing her face to give her hands something to do.

Jade didn’t seem to notice it and if she did, she was probably making fun of Tori in her head for it. Strike number two towards Tori’s death was the writer slowly shifting over after cracking her neck to rest her head on Tori’s shoulder, a near inaudible sigh leaving her lips as she looked back to the screen for a total of five seconds before it proved too annoying. Blue eyes wandered the dashboard when something caught Jade’s attention, pulling her gaze lower. Ink rested casually merely an inch or so from where her hand lingered, and before the pale girl could think better of it, her fingers were gently guiding the fabric of Tori’s dress higher to see what the tattoo was.

Unaware of Jade’s intention, the touch caught Tori completely off guard, the cool brush of those pale fingers startling her a bit. “H-Hey, what.. _Oh._ ” A sheepish smile danced on her lips once she realized what caused the bold approach. Gently, Tori lifted her own dress a little more, mindful to keep her underwear covered since the tattoo went almost up to the fabric and she wanted to keep some of her modesty. "This is the last one I got. I think it's my favorite."

"Since when are you growing up and getting tattoos?" Jade murmured, head not leaving Tori's shoulder as she flicked the light on to see the bright colors better. Pale fingertips reverently trailed along the skeleton of a tree, blue eyes taking it all in. "It suits you," she murmured, instead of saying it was pretty or that it looked good. "How many others are there?" She asked so sweetly to coax Tori into showing her more about herself.

Tori took those three little words to heart, knowing that in Jade's language, that meant she admired it. "We were still seniors when I got my first one," she chuckled, something about the way her friend had worded that amusing her a bit. So gently, she pushed Jade back a little so her fingers could push long curls to the side, exposing the back of her neck. "It was a day before my eighteenth birthday, because I could."

Tori tried not to dwell too much on how Jade went out of her way to guide stray strands of hair out of the way as well, _feeling_ those ocean eyes taking in the delicate teal butterfly drawn on her skin as cool fingertips absently stroked over it. "Such a ballsy little thing to get your first one there, I dig it." 

The singer let other girl appreciate the piece a few seconds longer, silently wondering if Jade liked the color as much as she did. “Is it just those two?” Jade finally asked. 

"Maybe I should wear my hair up more often... I rarely get to show it," Tori murmured, eyes fluttering closed when fleeting touch didn’t cease, barely realizing the way her body leaned back very lightly, closer to Jade's. She took a few moments to answer the question, eyes a fine line between cute and mischievous, an eyebrow arching at Jade. "Nope, but the last one I can't quite show you. Not here, anyway.”

“You should," Jade echoed, fingers so lazily threading in Tori's hair to lightly scratch her scalp as she studied the way her friend melted against her. At the presented dilemma, mischief shone in azure eyes and poured from full lips. "Come on, Tori. I'll show you mine if you show me yours," a flirty little wink was added just for special effect of how that sounded.

Honestly, it was so unfair of Jade to give her that little gentle touch while shooting that comment her way. Tori chuckled quietly, slowly letting her hair down and pretending she wasn’t humming a second prior cause _maybe_ scalp massages were a weakness. “Take me out next time and you might get lucky,” she winked right back, loving the little innuendos.

"Oh, trust me, Tori, you'd be the lucky one," Jade smirked, her nails continuing to caress Tori's scalp idly, giving the singer far more attention than the movie. No matter where their conversations went, a second date always seemed to pop back up.

_Well yup that's it you're gay Tori you're really gay._

"Next time." It was pretty hopeful, not at all dismissive, so she knew Jade would get it. Tori really wanted to go down that route and see how far they could take the flirting, but she knew she didn't match Jade when it came to being shameless - it was pretty close, but it was obvious who would end up a blushing, flustered mess.

She was already halfway there anyway, coffee eyes fluttering close once more, a lazy smile dancing on her lips. "Okay, you need to quit that. It feels so good, what the fuck," the singer chuckled, for once not caring how red her cheeks most likely were.

Jade laughed quietly, not bothering to stop her ministrations in the slightest as she tilted her head to one side, "I seem to recall making the same protest in the restaurant but someone was still determined to put me to sleep at the dinner table." The writer took note of those bright cheeks with a measure of pride, hiding a smile as well they both pulled their gazes away.

"Yeah, but you were food drunk. I'm just fucking gay." Pretty bold of Tori to admit that when it essentially meant _'hey hi yes, that, that you're doing right now? it's giving me tingles'_

It took Tori maybe ten more seconds to get the courage to do what she'd been wanting to ever since the movie began, body inching closer so her head could fall comfortably on Jade's shoulder. Jade didn’t seem to be even half of the nervous mess Tori was - or she was just taking advantage of being an incredibly gifted actress -, her hand slipping down Tori's back to eventually move to rest on her side. Her free one dug around for a bag of chips, using her teeth to help open it since she only had one free hand before she made an important realization. “Fuck _yes_ , I snagged a second bag of chips and I could’ve sworn you would’ve seen it. Ha.”

"You naive thing. Of course I noticed, but you're five, so I let it pass," Tori smiled, bright and sweet, jumping just a little bit at a dumb jumpscare in the movie. It had been the only time a scene caught any of her attention at all, but it still made her curl closer, head lying on Jade's chest.

A pale arm adjusted to the move, Jade’s heart in her throat when Tori's head settled, the singer listening every erratic beat. Slowly, after a few moments of hesitation, Jade rubbed the singer's side softly, rolling her eyes at both the comment and the movie. "Real horror doesn't need jumpscares unless you're a teenager but what the fuck do I know," she mumbled under her breath, generous enough to poke at Tori's lips with a chip as she settled in with her.

 _Is.. is she nervous too?_ It was quite hard for Tori focus on anything Jade was saying when her stupid hopes skyrocketed with every dumb signal the writer gave off that she might reciprocate these feelings.

"Your scripts are the best and soon your films will be the ones showing at these screenings." She murmured softly at last, the words nothing but sincere. At the chip offer, Tori shook her head, though her eyes fell to that delicate hand. No matter how many years down the line she was questioned as to why she did what she did next, she still wouldn’t be able to figure out the answer, but she did it anyway - being so close, all she had to do was lean in a little so that soft lips could brush pale knuckles, the sweetest kiss finding Jade’s hand.

Tori was absolutely mortified, wanting so much to flee and hide because _what the fuck am I doing??!?_ She could tell Jade had frozen, chip still hovering awkwardly in front of her face as she probably tried to get over Tori catching her off guard like that, the sudden touch an even newer development to their dynamic, much more palpable than the subtle shifts in their flirting throughout the evening. The singer was about to stumble her way through an apology when Jade finally moved, eating the damn chip herself and finding her voice as if they both hadn’t been in silence for nearly half a minute.

"Yeah, well.. I guess we'll see." Jade said quietly, replaying the moment in her mind just as much as Tori was. "I don't know. I've been working my ass off to reach out to the publishers spamming twitter but I'm never what's being looked for."

The turning point for Tori from nervousness to pride was hearing her crush's heart pound in her chest, fast and consistent, even after the moment was over, suddenly finding herself trying not to smile. Jade might not feel the same way, but it felt nice to be the one leaving her flustered for a change.

The cozy summer night breeze and her full belly were totally to blame for her gradually getting more and more comfortable, practically nuzzling Jade’s breasts."I believe in you, Jade. I haven't had my big break either, but as cliché as it sounds, we're young as hell. You'll be getting Emmys and Oscars in a few years and I'll be so proud because I've always known you had it."

Cuddling Jade’s boobs was apparently the right move because the amusement in the other girl’s voice was audible when she spoke again, "Maybe you're right. Who knows," a soft sigh as pale fingers lazily found silky hair again. "I just want to get out of here. Someplace nobody knows me. Except for maybe Cat since she'd fucking find a way to stowaway." Jade paused for only a second, continuing before her friend could ask if she’d also be included in that runaway plan. "You could probably already be finding shows or pushing shit on YouTube and Spotify though, Vega."

"Okay," Tori didn't exactly make an effort to pull away, but she did move back a bit so big doe eyes could gaze up at Jade. "Where are we going? Say the time and place, I'll pack my stuff," she obviously didn't mean forever, but if getting away was what Jade needed, Tori would be more than happy to jump on that adventure with her. Maybe they could sing some more. Eat shitty food. Sleep on top of each other. Honestly, she didn't care about having to push away everything she felt for this girl. If Jade wanted her around, even as just a friend, she'd take it. She'd take that chance any day.

An eyebrow arched, the pale girl so clearly trying to find out if Tori was serious. "I would say tonight but someone claims I'm too tired to drive all night. Still, snacks and some real food in a hotel room doesn't sound half bad." It was simple, but it would be such a change of environment for both of them. Quiet and calm. "Maybe tomorrow. Somewhere interesting, with cool history."

Tori tried not to let it show how much the scenario got to her, the mere idea of being alone with Jade in an actually private setting making her stomach flutter again. "You have my number. Just text me the details and I'll be ready to be picked up cause, and I can't stress this enough, I'll never learn how to drive." She grinned, fingers starting to pick on the fries again, her own heart now doing backflips at how it seemed like both of them genuinely wanted to do this again.

"There's nothing stopping us from buying a room for the night, since you're already picked up and coming nowhere near my steering wheel while the car is on," Jade pointed out, trying to sound casual even though the younger girl saw right through her bullshit.

Tori prepared for this. For Jade questioning, like she always did. She had to be careful now. Even if she was a good actress, Jade _also_ caught onto people's bullshit like nobody. Maybe that’s why their friendship worked the way it did.

"I have to go somewhere with my Mom in the morning, so I'd hate to cut our night short," her voice wasn't half as suggestive as it had been earlier when they were fucking around, but there was still this soft glow to Tori's eyes, mind racing with all the what ifs of being alone with Jade like that.

She wasn’t clueless, it was clear Jade was making an effort not to seem dejected - even if the girl would never admit it, it probably hurt to think not even a single one of her friends remembered the date, but if Tori knew Jade at all, she’d know that _begging_ for attention or pressuring her on a road trip adventure she hadn’t explicitly agreed to was _not_ something the pale girl would do.

Blue eyes studied the singer for a moment longer before a loud noise through the speakers drew both their gazes to the screen again, “Another time.” Jade’s fingers remained intertwined in soft hair, not pulling away from her friend and just settling back into her seat. 

Part of Tori wondered if Jade was curious about whether or not she had something else planned for them after the movie. She was dying to come clean, but for now, cuddling right back into the girl's side was all she could do - it wasn’t like she was even trying to hide how comfy she discovered Jade's boobs to be. She'd handle the teasing, it didn't matter, she was in Heaven right now and there was no way she was gonna move.

It made Tori happy to see her friend enjoying herself some more by the end of the movie, the ridiculous plot amusing them both. Instead of just being angry, Jade was actually laughing and cracking jokes and, _God,_ she was so beautiful when she smiled.

When the credits finished rolling, Jade started the car, looking down at Tori expectantly. She even pulled her hand from brunette hair to prompt the girl to voice their next destination as she stretched slowly, a few bones cracking quietly. The last handful of chips was devoured, the bag folded up and put in their designated trash bag. 

"So, now what?"

Tori actually pouted at having to sit back straight, fingers running through her curls to tame the wild mane Jade turned it into. The question had brown eyes softening, nerves kicking right in because, well, she had to tell her where they were headed. _Why am I such an useless lesbian?_

"Now we're going to the beach." Was all she offered, smiling brightly at her friend, knowing the curiosity was eating her.

When it became obvious Tori wasn’t going to elaborate on why they were going there, the writer simply finished her drink and began their drive, letting the radio play for now without explicitly forbidding her friend from the aux cord. Really, even trying to guess _why_ they were going to the beach was hopeless. With Tori it could be anything from wanting a small swim to wanting to find nice rocks. 

The drive was just as fun as the one to the movie had been, though Tori's singing was way softer, the sugar wearing off and with it went most of her energy to be extra and serenate Jade with The Cure.

The small backpack she brought now weighed heavily between her feet, the anxiety about Jade's gift coming back full force.

Tori wasn't sure how long she sulked for, Jade's little poke bringing her right back to Earth. "We're here?" She looked around, a smile dancing on her lips. "Come on!" The singer practically jumped out of the car, throwing her backpack over her shoulders and waiting for Jade, fingers loosely holding onto pale ones to drag her to the sand. 

The older girl didn’t make that an easy task by any means, refusing to endure any unnecessary physical activities after the sheer amount of snacks and otherwise unhealthy foods they’d ingested in the past few hours. Still, after being a little difficult she caved in, lacing her finger with Tori’s as they looked for a nice spot away from any of the idiots getting wasted on cheap booze. "So what are we doing here?" 

"Well, the eclipse is supposed to happen in like, 20 minutes. I wanted to see and.. and maybe stargaze a little?" God, it sounded so silly now, her chest still bursting with too many emotions at her years long crush holding her hand casually.

If it weren't for the hint of insecurity in Tori's voice, Jade would have poked fun at just how gay the girl sounded. Instead, she squeezed the hand in her own lightly and kept her gaze on the sand to help find them somewhere isolated. 

"Did you at least bring a blanket or something then?”

Tori’s thumb lazily traced the back of Jade's hand, hyper-aware of every little action. It was really hard not to think of this as a real date at this point, and Tori was honestly a mess at the thought. _Does she think of it like that too?_

"Well I didn't know I was gonna run into you, but I do always have one with me," she smiled once her friend found a good spot, safe from the water but still close enough that they could hear the waves crashing. Kneeling to open her bag, she was careful not to pull out the gift along with the blanket, laying it out for them neatly.

The pale girl flopped down onto the sand like a goddamn sack of potatoes. A small, quiet sound of regret rose from her, but she was over it in the next second, making herself comfortable and giving Tori an expectant look. Once the girl had decided to join her, she tucked lazily against that warmth, using her as a pillow as she listened to the ocean.

It was painfully obvious how happy it made Tori to have Jade cuddle up to her so easily, and arm moving around her waist to pull her closer. She really didn't know where the fine line between platonic and romantic lied with them, but she still just felt so content to be in this idiot's company. "Thanks for coming with me today," It was a soft murmur, fingers drawing lazy patterns on her date's side.

"Yeah, well. Thanks for making it not suck or whatever," Jade said simply, eyes closing for a long moment. "Does the eclipse start soon or is the moon completely hidden soon?" She murmured, nuzzling her face into a warm neck.

Tori couldn't bother to hide her smile, face hurting at this point. Jade was so unbelievably cute when she allowed herself to relax around other people, it was impossible not to melt. 

"Moon. The eclipse already started," she nodded towards the sky, eyes closing for a few seconds, hoping to God her friend couldn't feel how fast her pulse had gotten, Jade's soft, warm breath making goosebumps rise all over her skin.

Cool fingertips soothed the chills she was causing, slowly caressing the goosebumps away as Jade didn't bother a single glance skywards. Sure, the eclipse was interesting, but she was comfortable and it was a slow moving process. Pale legs lazily tangled up with Tori's, the younger girl purposely avoiding thinking about their need to be so close now, and if it would change the next day.

The singer's heart seemed determined to jump out of her mouth, no matter how hard she tried not to overthink it. She'd seen Jade curl up with Cat countless times - maybe Jade was just really cuddly when she liked someone's company? Or if they fed her properly?

"It's so funny," Tori’s voice broke the silence after long moments, rich brown eyes gazing up at the moon. "I've always wanted to go out with you, like this, just.. hang out alone, you know?" Tan cheeks warmed up quite fast, fingers timidly tracing up and down Jade's side. "I never thought all I had to do was ask."

"Well, I suppose I'm more inclined to agree when I'm caught off guard and offered a decent date. But really, you've been sitting around waiting to ask me on a date for so long and only now decided to actually do it?" Amusement colored the soft words, nose tucking closer to Tori's neck. "It's a pretty cheesy end to a date, but lying down to digest can't be an entirely bad idea while you profess your undying love to the fucking moon."

It made her actually want to hide, the way Jade kept calling it a date. Tori fucking _hated_ that part of her mind kept yelling it was playful, when her friend couldn't make it more clear that she was okay with the idea. Maybe it was the insecurity of still not believing she was interesting enough for anyone, or maybe it was the years of putting herself down thinking Jade would never look at her like that. Either way, it was a pretty hard emotional turmoil to handle when the girl you've had feelings for for years was pretty much wrapped up around you.

"In my defense, I didn't really know that's what I wanted for a long time. And then when I did, we were all parting ways and starting a new chapter and, yeah," Tori had a sheepish, almost embarrassed smile on her lips. She'd come a long way with her awkwardness, but around Jade it just never got easy.

Blue eyes rolled at that, a finger sharply poking Tori's side. "And my brother calls _me_ a useless lesbian. It's not like any of us made it that far away. So, what, you've been sitting on this for three years instead of just asking me out until today?" Amusement was seeping through her voice, the girl shaking with silent laughter. "And then proceeded to become a blushing mess every time I referred to it as a date," Jade hummed quietly, turning her own gaze skyward to check on the moon's progress.

"Hey!" Tori winced exaggeratedly, actually pulling her arm back so she could cross them, feigning indignation. "You know what, I don't need this disrespect, I--" and then it hit her. _Oh._

She'd figured out Jade was into girls years before. She could tell -- she _hoped,_ Jesus, did she hope so. Tori knew better than anybody that it sucked when people made a big deal out of something that shouldn't be out of the ordinary, but still. Jade was opening up to her, she was sharing something Tori could only assume a few people knew. That not only validated the progress they’d made and how comfortable Jade seemed to be around her, but made all the angst and anxiety Tori had felt all those years just.. glide away. All of those times she put herself down over her crush on Jade, convincing herself it was wishful thinking.. maybe none of that mattered anymore.

"When did you know?" Tori finally asked, soft eyes taking Jade in now that they could look at each other again. She had so many questions, but she knew better than to lay out all of her curiosity on her friend at once.

A chuckle pulled from Jade at the cliché question. The writer took in those warm, rich eyes, adjusting her position slightly to get more comfortable as she lifted a shoulder, considering how to tell it. Her cheeks were a little warm and she actually laughed at the memory. 

"Me and Beck were on a break, maybe during senior year, and I went to this party the next city over. Got a little drunk because teenager, duh. But I ended up making out with this girl for, I swear, two hours. And it was _all_ I wanted to do. Months later I would feel guilty for still thinking about it so often but I started realizing that that's what was wrong with me and Beck.” Sitting up slowly, her arms loosely encircled her knees. “I loved his personality and all that crap, but he just wasn't what I needed."

Tori decided she found it endearing, how timid Jade seemed to get when talking about personal things like this. "Oh, you useless gay thing," she giggled, enjoying being the one to poke fun at this idiot way too much. "It wasn't much different with me. Trina took me to a party and I danced with one of her friends for hours and then she kissed me and I gay panicked and she immediately apologized and I was like, 'wait. But. Like. Maybe do that again?'" She chuckled at the memory, soft eyes studying Jade for a long moment. 

_Guess we're not that different, after all._

A playful shove found Tori at those words, "Really, Miss ‘My Brain Short Circuited Because My Date Held My Hand Or Touched My Hair’?" Jade chuckled at her story, chin resting on her arm as her eyes studied Tori for a few moments. "We drank together a bit for the rest of the night and I never saw her again. Then Cat's kissed me a few times but the dumbass was giggling too much to make anything serious of it. Figured it would be weird anyway, getting into a relationship and having to explain, 'hey, this is my best friend and I don't want to fuck her or anything but sometimes we kiss.'"

It was hilarious, really, how cartoonishly wide Tori’s eyes got. _"I KNEW IT!!!”_

She was laughing now, obviously proud of the detective in her. "André owes me 50 bucks. For years I said you and Cat must have kissed at least once but he thought she wouldn't do that again in our friend group after she and Trina slept toge-" A hand flew over her own mouth. _Oh shit._

“That explains why her face went fucking red anytime I said the word Vega aroound her for a fucking month. I’m honestly just glad I didn’t get to hear Cat making your sister wailing,” Jade rolled her eyes, even though she was still laughing a little as well. “Cat and I literally kissed last week before she went on her trip because she was a pouting baby. And if André pays up, I want half the money if I kiss her in front of him.”

"You did?" Tori tried really hard not to frown, keeping her smile in place so Jade wouldn't notice the absolute mess of conflicting emotions she was inside. 

There was no reason for her to feel that way. Jade didn't belong to her, and she also made it pretty clear her relationship with Cat was platonic as hell. They're best friends, they're pretty, they kiss. It wasn't a big deal. It's probably what she would have with André if she was into guys.

But fuck, did it still make her heart ache to imagine it.

"He'd be too shocked and defeated to even be able to pay me," Tori eventually offered, still forcing a smile. _Bottle it down. You know how to do this._

Jade wasn't, however, quite as clueless as Tori may believe. "It was the first time in a while. I think she just felt bad and that's why she was pouty." Or maybe Cat was just being Cat. "But if it gets to you so much, you could always woman up and make your move, useless lesbian." Faux innocence was written all over Jade's expression as she watched Tori, blue eyes shining just a tad.

Tori tried to amuse herself at the little poke at Cat's whiney personality, but her mind was still elsewhere when Jade finished speaking. Memories of their dumb fights and laughs and songs they've sung and everything they've shared clouded her thoughts and all she could think about was how _stupid_ she was for never saying anything and maybe at this point Jade had even met a girl in school and it was probably too late to even--

 _Wait. What?!_ The comment finally caught up to her, coffee eyes lifting in surprise, intently trying to read Jade's and see if she was being serious.

Once again, Tori reminded herself of what lied inside her backpack, next to them.

The prettiest smile danced on her lips as she leaned in slowly, eyes falling to soft lips as she got closer, stopping when piercing blue eyes fluttered closed. "I have something for you. Keep your eyes closed."

Jade probably wanted to walk into the fucking ocean at that moment, but instead she let out a heavy sigh, not questioning Tori for once in her life and keeping her eyes shut. The furrow in her brow smoothed slowly, though, nerves calming at the reminder that this was _Tori,_ and even if whatever the singer had for her was stupid, it wouldn’t be anything bad. "I swear to god if you tell me to look at the moon, I'm punching you," Jade murmured with a smirk.

The dumb comment almost made it better, Tori laughing softly as she swallowed down the lump in her throat, telling her heart to quit it already. “Shut up,” slowly, she opened her bag, pulling out a fancy looking notebook, trembling fingertips tracing the black leather cover delicately. _This is it._

So gently, she placed into Jade's hands, lips brushing a pale cheek in the softest kiss, a smile so obvious in Tori's voice when she whispered, "Happy birthday, Jade."

Slowly, blue eyes blinked open, Jade looking more surprised by the words than the gentle weight in her hand. She studied the notebook quietly, pale cheeks the slightest shade of pink from the touch of soft lips. "Thank you..." There was a questioning lilt to her voice, and she opened the notebook up to see what the pages looked like only to find they were already occupied. "For this used notebook...?"

Tori’s eyes rolled in a nearly perfect circle, because of course Jade always had a comment to make before taking two seconds to actually look at what was in front of her.

"A few months ago I remembered your birthday was coming up, so.. I, uhm, I filled each page with things that reminded me of you," gently, delicate fingers turned it back to the first one. It was a drawing of a small theater, walls and tables and floor all fucked up from a food fight, and a doodle of two idiots dancing on top of one of the tables. To Tori, that was the first time she thought of Jade as a friend, even if they weren't going to reach that status for months after that.

The next one was all black, traces of bright sapphire blue shaping a deep, empty well, resembling Jade's _"Well Wishes”_ play.

There was some funny ones too, like two pages next to each other, one with the creepiest clown Tori could come up with, blood all over his mouth and chin for “ _Clowns Don't Bounce”,_ and a music box with a more goofy one, referencing the girl’s re-audition for Hollywood Arts. 

"Speaking of school, I'm proud of this one," she murmured softly, turning another page to reveal Jade on a big stage, the outfit and the then purple locks of hair letting them know it was from the night her and Beck got back together for the last time. Tori didn't exactly have the best memory from that night, her crush on the girl beside her more than obvious to herself by that point, but it had been incredible nonetheless to see Jade so strong and powerful while she performed.

The writer took her time with each page, softening visibly as she unsuccessfully tried to hide a smile, memories of their time together being brought to the surface. It was with a hint of amusement that she took note that their first 'date' at Nozu took up two of its own pages, even finding lyrics to their karaoke song scrawled down on one of the margins. 

Mystified, Jade continued onward, finding a few road signs and a doodle from the point of view of her own backseat from one of the drives they must have gone on during senior year. Pale fingers slowly mapped out the memories, blue eyes drinking it all in. Their party at the lake graduation night. The time Tori went with her for a tattoo.

The tension practically irradiated from Tori the longer Jade travelled through the book, especially when they reached a more detailed drawing of the girl in that extravagant pink dress from the award night. Except Jade didn't have the stupid wig on, just the dress and Tori's leather jacket over her shoulders - by the corner, _"pretty pink idiot ❤️",_ in cute cursive letters. "You would've been amazing.. I still wish we both had sung together." Her voice was soft, warm eyes appreciating for the first time all the hard work she put into this gift.

One page featured the iconic _GIRLS GIRLS GIRLS_ neon sign from the karaoke bar Cat and Trina took them to for one of the best girl's night out she'd ever had. Another even referenced Tori's favorite scene from the last short film Jade had released.

The singer would go on every now and then about a specific drawing, but when pale fingers turned to the next page, Tori couldn't really say much. The artwork consisted of a red solo cup tipped over, spilling all over the paper. The liquid was colorless, hazy, and all you could make out were a vision of bright, hypnotizing azure eyes. It took her right back to that night a couple years prior, alcohol consuming her system for the very first time and to this day, all Tori could recall was every dumb little moment she'd shared with Jade. She didn’t even expect Jade to remember exactly what night it was, her own memories all foggy, everything after the dance floor a complete blur.

Gently, Jade’s fingers drummed in the page over the spill of alcohol, those same azure eyes finally turning to Tori as she once again surprised the singer, "That was the second time you ever called me pretty. I was helping you back into your room to put your drunk ass to bed," The writer murmured before looking to the page again, not sure if she was the only one who remembered that. She had always known Tori had a gift when it came to traditional art, but she still was breathless when an immaculate butterfly took up the final page, even shaded in such a way to make it seem like the damn thing had just landed there. 

The lyrics to “Okay” were well remembered, and there wasn’t really much room to doubt why Tori had included that song in, Jade faintly remembering being woken by an inconsolable Tori one night while the girl was on her way home from a party, out of it and terrified, needing someone to talk to so she didn't panic that she might get murdered. As far as Jade could recall, that was the first time her date had heard her sing just for her to chill her the fuck out. She could still recall lying in bed in the moonlight, slowly speaking the night away.

If what Jade was sharing was true, Tori stood by her own drunken words. "I should say it more often. You're beautiful.." Perhaps it was the intimacy of their little moment, but the words were nothing but a whisper, both girls trapped in the soft atmosphere around them.

Tori remembered taking days to finish that last page. There were a lot of memories surrounding the song, and despite barely being able to remember her bad trip from the night both seemed to be thinking about, Jade's soothing voice over the phone was clear as day in her mind. 

"I've always loved butterflies too, hence my tattoo. It made me so confused and _happy_ when you let me go into your bedroom the first time and I saw the decorations. We didn't know each other that well then, but I liked knowing we had something in common, apart from music, cinema and theater. It made me want to figure you out more. I still want to."

Absently, pale fingers slid between tan ones and settled there, and she took the moment in before finally turning to face Tori again. Delicately, Jade turned that strong jaw, guiding Tori closer for a slow kiss. This damn girl might actually make birthdays grow on her after this. 

The singer, on the other hand, was too much of a gay mess over that warm hand on hers to be able to notice when soft lips touched her own. The kiss was sweet and warm, everything Tori always dreamed it would be, and it was over way too soon.

After a few heartbeats, they slowly pulled away, bright blue eyes falling to the page again and just marvelling in this goddamn book that had been made just for her, about something so personal and meaningful. Words didn't quite come to the writer, so she gently closed the notebook to pour over more later, tucking it safely into her own bag. "You're going to kill my reputation if you keep stuff like this up, Vega.”

If Jade had thought she'd seen Tori blush before, tan cheeks were on a whole different shade of red now, brown eyes big and shining. "Fuck your reputation," Tori breathed out, the prettiest smile dancing on her lips as she leaned in again, stealing one, two, ten little kisses, giggling softly against Jade's lips.

Despite herself, a soft chuckle slipped from Jade, granting the idiot beside her a few more kisses, pale fingers trailing along Tori’s jaw lazily before her smirk widened, pushing the poor thing back slightly so she could instead settle comfortably in her lap. The action earned a surprised yelp from the other girl, cheeks consistent in their new flushed state - seemed like that would keep happening more and more, if it depended on Jade. 

Timidly, tan arms settled safely around her date, chin resting comfortably on a pale shoulder, big doe eyes gazing up at the fool in her lap. "If only I'd known all it would take for you to kiss me was a gay ass art book, I would've designed it years ago," Tori offered playfully, lips brushing the girl's shoulder in a warm kiss.

A playful wink met the words, Jade nestling even closer. "Hindsight is 20/20, isn't it," she teased, fingertips ghosting up Tori's back to her nape, threading in chestnut hair to let her nails gently stroke the girl's scalp. "Although I do like the lack of acknowledgement of the day up until now," she murmured, pleased that her birthday hadn't been a big deal in the sense of being stuck doing a lot of socializing she didn't want to for the day.

"Shut up," Tori pouted, though it was obvious she was so happy and amused. Coffee eyes fluttered closed as those delicate fingers worked their magic, a content hum slipping. She hid a smile, hoping the surprise waiting for her date later would make her happy precisely for that reason.. "You didn't really think I'd forgotten, right?"

"I thought you might have, and I wasn't entirely complaining about the idea," Jade admitted, massaging the girl's scalp slowly as she thought over their evening together. "But I got an extra bag of chips so I wasn't that hung up over it," she chuckled, head gently resting against Tori's as she got herself comfortable and closed her own eyes for a few moments.

"Consider that your true birthday present, then. The notebook was just a lil gift," A soft kiss found Jade’s temple, Tori’s heart dancing at the realization that being allowed to be this close was a reality now. Part of her thought she was still dreaming - it was incredible how fast the night could change. There was something truly heartwarming about having the writer cuddled up to her like this, bright blue eyes watching the moon fade behind the Earth's shadow.

There was a limit to Jade’s willingness to be cheesy, however, and once the younger girl looked relaxed enough, the asshole made sure to push her on her back, biting her shoulder playfully.

 _"Ow_! What was that for?!” It hadn’t hurt at all, but Tori wouldn’t miss the chance to be dramatic, rubbing the abused skin with a pout.

A snort of amusement left the offender, nipping a soft cheek next. “Not letting me get more snacks. Or for not getting takeout from the restaurant.”

"There is _no way in hell_ you're hungry. That's not humanly possible," Tori shook her head in disbelief, changing her mind and figuring the only way to get Jade to quit was to not get affected at all. "I have some snacks at home.. if you'd like to come over? We could keep that marathon going, with an actual good movie this time," she offered timidly after a minute, eyes turning skyward as well. Truth was, Tori wasn't even thinking about the surprise when she made the invitation. She truly just didn't want their night to be over.

Jade nodded at the offer, temporarily satisfied with being a disturbance. "Yeah? You're really pushing for an excuse to hide in my boobs tonight, aren't you?" The teasing words were soft spoken, visibly relaxed by their environment. She still thought about the offer she had extended to get a hotel room to just exist in silence for a while together, but she didn't mind this offer either. "Do I get to kill Trina on sight?"

"Shut up, I've waited for so long to use them as my pillow. Let me live." Tori mumbled childishly, though amusement was clear in her voice. At the question, she had to lie again. "Not tonight, everyone's out." Her voice lowered, obviously timid. "Just you and me."

Slowly, Jade sat up, chancing a glance at the moon and stretching her legs before folding the blanket back up, notebook safe in her bag. "I'm absolutely getting us a box or two from McDonald's to pick at."

“Jesus fucking Christ.”

The ride back was comfortably quiet, Tori pretty much cuddled up to Jade's side as much as she could without keeping her attention off of the road. Her mind was a mess, divided between sheer excitement over the surprise that awaited her date, and all the moments they'd shared up until then. She was pretty sure Jade caught her lightly touching her lips once, turning bright red because, _God,_ subtlety wasn’t her best trait.

There was not enough arguing in the world that would stop Jade’s trip to the McDonald’s drive-thru from happening, the singer giving up and just going with it, forced to hold the bag and endure Jade’s _audacity_ to slap her hand away when she attempted to steal a fry. Stolen kisses at intersections was rapidly becoming one of Jade’s favorite things, very much enjoying watching Tori squirm in surprise every goddamn time - why didn’t they come forward about their feelings sooner, again?

Once they left the car, tan fingers laced between pale ones shyly, Tori’s other hand reaching in her pocket for her heys. She made sure to be a little noisy so their presence would be noticed, the absolute silence from inside the house making her suppress a smile.

Jade smirked softly to herself once the door was opened, spinning Tori around to push her back against the hard surface and claim her inviting lips in another kiss, food temporarily forgotten about. Hell, they didn't even have to watch a movie, she would accept sitting around making out with this idiot for a couple hours. “Jade, wait--” Tori breathed in between kisses, elbow hitting the light switch.

_"SURPRIIIIIIIISE!!!!!!!!!!"_

The loud ass party horn sounds deflated in two seconds, tan cheeks bright red, Tori covering her smile behind her hand at the shock in the faces of their friends and her family. Jade, on the other hand, fucking flinched at the eruption of noise, sharp nails digging lightly into the girl’s sides as her eyes adjusted to the bright light and the small crowd staring at them, jaws on the floor. Of fucking course, their old improv teacher took barely a second to recover and began applauding them slowly, nodding with his stupid sagely smug smirk. 

"So much for the house being empty, Vega," Blue eyes gazed back at her date, not annoyed but not exactly _thrilled_ either. “So, do we go upstairs, or..?”

"Shut _up_ , my parents--"

"YOU GUYS OWE US 50 BUCKS EACH!!" Cat was the first to chime in, her and Beck wearing smug grins, accusing tiny fingers pointed at André and Robbie's faces.

"Excuse me?" Tori frowned, just as lost as Jade.

"André and Robbie didn't think you two were gonna get it on tonight. Cat and I bet that you only needed a few hours alone to finally get it over with," Beck explained, smirking at the pale girl. "Jade's impatient as fuck, I knew it would be tonight."

"Yeah, but have y'all seen Tori around girls? She's a mess!" André tried to make a case for himself, trying not to laugh at Tori's offended gasp.

"I think you're all missing the point here," Trina intervened, taking one step closer to the new couple. "Who kissed who first?"

Brown eyes found Jade's, shy smile way too telling as Tori squeezed the hand in hers. "Jade did, actually-"

 _"A-HA!"_ The older Vega startled them both, grinning maniacally as she turned to the rest of the group, hand extending, "Those 200? Pass it over."

"Jesus fucking Christ this is exactly why I should have insisted on the hotel," Jade mumbled, shaking her head as she watched the dumbasses argue amongst themselves for money, bills being exchanged all around. Her fingers played with Tori's as she accepted the plastic cup passed into her free hand, downing it in one shot. 

An eyebrow arched at her from David, and in a monotone, the pale girl cleared her throat, "I mean. _Oh, ooh, it buuurns_ ." Jade didn't even know what to make of all the bets that had apparently been centering around her and her date, and truth be told, the only reason she wasn't furious was because Tori seemed so _eager_ for a positive reaction from her.

"I know I lied a little to bring you here, but come on, it's kinda funny. Them betting behind our backs all this time," the younger girl grinned, though her nerves showed by the way tan fingers fidgeted with Jade's. "Is this okay? I made sure to invite only our group, Sikowitz and your brother. I know you don't like birthdays and that's why I wanted to take you out first so we could enjoy the evening and.. and then we could all just chill together and have a drink and my Dad even said he'll pretend not to see me or Cat having a shot or two." Coffee eyes were big and soft, the poor girl so obviously nervous Jade didn't like the surprise, and once Tori began second guessing herself, she went full on rambling mode fast.

"Tori, shut up for a second," Jade actually sounded a little amused at how quickly the girl worked to explain herself. "You're good. It wouldn't have been my first choice, but I don't hate it either. You and the other infant go get drinks, I'll go talk to Sikowitz, been wanting to see him for a while." Full lips pressed reassuringly to Tori's temple, a small smile offered before she began pulling away.

Tori was still a bit insecure about her choices, but the words and especially that little kiss soothed her enough. She let Jade go, only to tug her closer one more time to steal a sweet peck, a breathtaking smile on her lips as finally they parted ways - to opposite sides of the same goddamn living room.

"God, you guys are so cute." Cat gushed over the scene they'd just witnessed, her and the guys nudging her to tell them more about the evening. Brown eyes watched as Jade hugged her younger brother shortly before approaching Sikowitz, and just like that Tori was smiling all over again.

Both girls told the tale of their night in their own way, Jade trying to keep her cool and saving Sikowitz from the sappy parts, soon taking his question about the movie they watched as an escape from the vulnerable subject. Tori wasn’t worried about that, though, telling their friends every corny little detail.

Trina was the one to cut right to the chase, "When did she kiss you? How did it happen?"

Tan cheeks warmed up gently, "Well, after the movie we.. we took a walk on the beach. Sat down to watch the lunar eclipse and stargaze a little and-"

"That's so fucking gay, oh my God." Surprisingly, Beck was right up there with Cat on her fangirl level, amusing Tori quite a bit. She was curious and excited to talk to him about everything, now that Jade had shared with her the reason for their relationship to have ended. Having feelings for one of her friend's ex was always one of the things that made the performer feel the most guilty when it came to her crush, so it was really nice to know Beck already supported them so much.

While the younger girl was bombarded with questions, Jade excused herself to the kitchen for some coffee - maybe it would taste good with the skeptical looking bottle of liquor Sikowitz gave her. Twenty one, right? Here’s to dumb decision number one.

She loved her former teacher to death, but the questions had her feeling flustered. Even with her cool collection of the date, it was hard not to feel overwhelmed upon discovering everyone already knew about her own feelings towards Tori before she got to figure them out herself. Shaking her head, Jade focused on her drink, surprised to find fresh coffee already made, pulling out the biggest mug, leaning against the counter. Making her concoction carefully, blue eyes lifted to find yet another conversation partner.

"Hey, birthday girl." Holly approached her with a gentle smile, getting herself a mug as well before leaning against the sink, facing Jade. "I know it's not much in terms of decoration and everything, but Tori said that was kind of the point, so we kept it simple," the older woman sipped her coffee slowly, warm honey eyes watching the apprehensive girl trying to look like she wasn't a bit on edge by the private conversation. "You like this brand of coffee? I'd like to know what you prefer, since I expect to be seeing you around more now."

Jade’s head tilted to one side as she studied the woman, taking a slow sip from her own mug, deciding that whatever Sikowitz had given her went quite well with this coffee. "Yeah, that was a wise choice, I'm not really big on the whole celebration thing. Years passing is just stressful or some shit," she trailed off shaking her head. 

The coffee question had her attention sufficiently diverted, stealing a glance to the container on the counter to skim the label. It wasn't entirely unfamiliar, and the blend sounded and tasted pretty decent. "And yeah, it's good. I'm sure I'll be hanging around even more, it's not like I have any place to be."

Holly had always been very sympathetic of Jade after Tori mentioned the girl's home life wasn't ideal, back when they were both teenagers. At the beginning, her and David thought Jade was too moody and might be a bad influence on both their daughters, but it doesn't take much to put two and two together. It said a lot that, even if Jade was someone a little difficult to get through, as far as Holly knew, she was an excellent student and so very passionate about her artistic endeavors. Sure, the praise always came from Tori and if tonight was any indication, her youngest was pretty biased, but a mother always knows.

"There's this drink my mother taught me how to make, hot white russian, that’s my absolute favorite and it tastes amazing with this brand. Now that you're of age, I can make us that when you come over," Holly winked, the kind smile on her lips making it clear she was more than accepting over Jade and her daughter's new development. "You know, I've always liked you, Jade. Out of all of Tori's friends, you're the quietest one, but she'd always speak so highly of you, and school projects when two of you worked together were where she shined the most. Makes me happy to see you reconnecting."

Despite Holly having been fairly welcoming once she was sure that Jade wasn't going to lead Tori astray, it was still strange to Jade to find this grown ass woman being nice to her. She was never a favorite of any parents, and really that kind of came with her whole self image, so it was puzzling to try and figure out why this was different. Maybe Tori had just been pining over her verbally to her family, since it didn't seem to be a surprise to anyone in the house what had finally happened. 

The promise perked her right up, something entering her gaze for just a second before her guard was back in place. "Well, since someone seems pretty gay and insistent on hanging around me for hours on end, looks like you'll be getting me drunk regularly." That was exactly the right thing to say, obviously. She mulled that last comment over, stalling for time with another slow sip of her coffee. "I suppose we never fell out of contact. There were always messages or some stupid jokes going around." Truth be told, she had never once doubted she could just pick up the phone and text the idiot she'd been kissing tonight at any point. 

Any other young girl would've been a bit embarrassed to be so openly accepted by the mother of the person they were dating, but really, it shouldn't be a surprise that Jade was different. The comment got a genuine laugh from Holly, who nudged the younger woman playfully. "Give her a break, she's just a little clueless about how obvious she is." She snickered, sipping her own coffee. "I almost had Trina make a 'sis we've been knew' sign for me to have at hand for when Tori came out, but held back.” Of course of all people, Holly would be who was up to date with meme culture. “It was her moment, maybe she'd be a little sad we all already knew. But, yeah, not the most subtle one, no," The older woman grinned, gaze finding Tori laughing with her friends, clearly still being teased. When her eyes returned to Jade, she held her gaze, "Being mushy doesn't seem to be your thing, but I just want you to know you're home now, yeah? Got yourself a mother and a father and an older sister you absolutely didn't ask for."

Those words actually had the pale girl squirming, unsure what to do with herself or what to say, completely unfamiliar with such acceptance and kindness coming from a maternal figure.

After a few moments of awkward silence, she looked almost hopeful, "Is this the part where I finally get to trade in a sibling for an animal instead?"

Holly nearly snorted her own coffee at that one, "Deal. Trina's been a pain in the ass, and we were thinking about getting a puppy anyway."

Almost like knowing they were poking fun of her a minute prior, Tori approached the two warily, nerves kicking in at the mere thought of her.. friend.. date.. girl.. _Jade,_ speaking to her mother about her or their night. "Heeey, what are you guys talking about?" Autumn eyes fell on Jade, a nervous smile on her lips, delicate fingers instinctively searching for hers.

Giving Tori’s hand a reassuring squeeze, Jade was back to teasing mode. "Mom is kicking Trina out to get me a puppy," she said simply, already sold on her new parents as long as she was promised coffee (and alcohol!) and now a small animal. No bad end on that deal. "How are the idiots?"

"Pardon?" Tori chuckled, eyes going back and forth between her date and her mother, trying to wrap her mind around the fast development. "I'm all for getting rid of Trina, but Mom?" Brown eyes watched Jade with amusement, part of her happy the two seemed to be getting along, but mostly just confused as hell.

"Hey, the day you get me a dog for my bunny to play with, I’ll call you Daddy. Until then, Mom gets the titles,” a playful wink accompanied the words, the next sip of coffee lingering on her lips as she kissed a tan cheek. Blue eyes met rich browns with equal amusement, squeezing a warm hand again at the memory of how much dedication went into the notebook in her bag.

Tori's eyes were wide, cheeks burning for the hundredth time in the evening. _"Shut up!!_ Mom, you didn't hear that." She watched as her mother tried to hide her smile, obviously amused at the dynamic between the two.

All it took to soothe the singer was the song that came on, the 70s band already settled in Tori's mind as something to remember Jade by.

"Dance with me?" The request was soft, teeth worrying her lip in a way one could only describe as precious.

To Tori’s surprise, Jade complied, gently pulling her back to the spacious living room. Pale fingers cupped her cheek, bringing her close to steal possibly one of the softest kisses of the night.

It made Tori a special kind of warm to have her years long crush kissing her so openly in front of everyone, neither girl worrying too much about what to call this or where to go, but not afraid of admitting they were becoming a thing either. Coffee eyes shined in the dim lit room once they pulled apart, colorful lights illuminating her date’s features in soft, short flashes. “I don’t care if Monday’s blue, Tuesday’s gray and Wednesday too.. Thursday I don’t care about you, it’s Friday I’m in love,” Tori sang softly, a breathtaking smile dancing on her lips, way too proud of herself.

“Already crooning love songs to me, Vega? God, you’re sappy.” Jade murmured in her ear, though she let herself get lost in the sweet voice she hadn’t heard in quite a while, playfully spinning the other girl once. “Thank you, for all of this,” She meant it, and Tori could see it on the hint of color on pale cheeks, even if the writer would have probably claimed that was the alcohol.

“You’ve never stopped being special to me, even if I hadn’t said it in a long time. Just thought you should know it.”

"Jesus, you two are gross. At least I made some money out of this," Trina smirked as she walked past the dancing couple, absolutely aware she was interrupting their moment.

"So, are we really replacing her with that dog?”

"Oh for sure. It can bite her and then we won't even have to kick her out," Tori smirked, loving the fact that with Jade around her sister wouldn’t feel any peace.

"What bree-" Jade was cut off by the impact of Cat colliding into her and forcing the air from her lungs like a tiny red hurricane, yelling _happy birthday_ for the fifth time. "Hey Kitkat," she murmured, returning the embrace awkwardly, patting the smaller girl’s head.

And then, she remembered.

“You, my dear, owes Vega 50 bucks that she’ll spend on breakfast for me tomorrow, because Cat and I have absolutely kissed before.” Blue eyes pinned André in place, a devious smirk growing.

Dark eyes narrowed in suspicion, André clearly trying to figure out if they were fucking with him. "I don't believe it. You just want in on the money pools."

Cat pouted, arms still flung around her best friend. "It's true! I would kiss her again to prove it but she's Tori's now." A little giggle left the redhead, amber eyes on Tori as if to ask the girl if she'd like her to anyway.

It was a challenge not to laugh at her best friend being completely ripped off tonight, his skepticism totally understandable considering the amount of money the dude was losing all at once.

Cat’s comment went right over her head for a couple moments, gay panicking real quick when the words sunk in. “Wait, Jade’s.. She’s not _mine,_ I-”

Everyone’s attention seemed to be on Tori now, the owner of ocean eyes cocking her head to one side. "Aren't I?" Something in the way the words were spoken sounded like a challenge, and Beck was giving the poor girl a look to just fucking accept it before it became personal to Jade.

"Yeah, isn't she?" Cat asked in a sweet voice, absolutely making it worse just to be cheeky.

Despite _literally_ wanting to perform for a living, Tori felt incredibly small and cornered under so many eyes, tan cheeks fucking crimson, face comically going back and forth from her friend's amused expressions and Jade's piercing eyes. _She's killing me, I swear to God._

"I-I.. yeah! Yeah, if, if you want to be, yeah, yes." She stumbled her way through that heroically, fully hoping she could make it out alive. The poor girl thought she was being considerate and sweet by not getting possessive over her date after only an hour or so of them kissing for the first time. As usual, things never worked normally with Jade, who regarded her with obvious amusement. "Yeah, you're mine." Tori offered sweetly, arm wrapping around a slim waist to pull her into her side.

"Smart answer." Jade wore a sly little smile, content with the girl not backing down.

It was adorable and heartwarming, the way their friends so quickly supported them together. The more she watched the idiots making kissy faces and hearts with their hands when Jade wasn't looking, the more Tori realized there was no reason for her to beat herself up about not coming forward about her feelings sooner. They would've been the same at 18, or at 30. What mattered is that tonight was when both of them were ready, and that meant something. Besides, those three years added significantly relevant gay pages on Jade's notebook. That was one of the best parts about it all.

It didn’t take long for Jade to need a break and gravitate towards the couch, tugging Tori down to sit with her as she got comfortable like she owned the damn place. A soft _oof_ left the writer when once again, Cat’s body collided with hers with the redhead unceremoniously flopping next to them.

“I still can’t believe none of us blew the surprise, I almost texted you twice cause I was so excited!!” Cat poked her best friend’s rib, yelping at her offending hand getting swatted away.

“I can’t believe _Vega_ didn’t. Had to remind her many times tonight she’s never once managed to be subtle.” 

Tori was having none of it. “For someone who called me out for staring at your boobs during our entire high school career, you sure had your own infatuation with my ass.” It was incredibly bold considering how much of a flustered mess she’d been all night, but Tori wouldn’t be put on the spot like that.

"Tori, we were all staring at your ass though!" Cat piped up, making Jade laugh softly as blue eyes turned from one moron to the other, bringing her cup to her lips again. 

"To be fair, half the time I was thinking about beating it," a smirk appeared on those full lips. "Besides, me and Cat would always have conversations about how appreciating a good ass doesn't have to mean something."

"I'm fucking sorry, what?" Tori laughed nervously, obviously not believing this for a second. She tried not to picture the image Jade’s words painted in her mind, taken aback by how _oblivious_ she used to be.

“I love how both of you were in such denial,” The redhead was having way too much fun, eyebrows wiggling at them both before excusing herself to get another drink, knowing it was only a matter of time before Jade retaliated.

“So my ass is great, huh?” The singer recovered from the initial shock, grinning like a fiend.

“I remain shameless, but don’t let it go to your head.”

"Stop being gross with your dumb girlfriend and go help Mom with the cake," Trina playfully smacked them both in the back of the head, smirking as she ran away.

“God, she’s such a little bitch, is it even worth kicking her ass?” Blue eyes rolled, fixing her hair a bit, letting her date drag her out of the couch.

While Tori helped Holly, Jade was left to approach their friends.

"You didn't have to bake a cake, you know? She'd be happy with any food, hence the fries she's inhaling right now," Tori told her mom, nodding towards Jade throwing a couple of them at Beck's face.

"I know, but I wanted to," brown eyes studied the older woman curiously. "You like her. A lot, it seems. We want her to feel loved." 

Tori could feel her cheeks warming up a little, "I really do." 

That was all Holly needed to hear, hiding a smile herself as they both brought the giant ass cake into the living room, singing happy birthday just the way Jade would _absolutely_ hate.

Jade felt her fight or flight response trigger the second she heard the singing but she braved it out so she could earn the reward of cake. Cake that promised to be full of mocha and espresso and everything right with the world. She supposed she could suffer, especially when Holly was confirming those ingredients as she cut it. Even if she’d deny it, Jade was perked up like an excited kitten, taking a sip from Andre's glass when she was beckoned to behave and blow out the candle, responding with an old 'firebreathing' trick she had learned as a teenager before extinguishing the small flame.

“How the.. You know what? Don’t wanna know,” Tori chuckled, fingers lacing between cold ones. "Did you make a wish?" 

"Maybe. You’ll never know. Do we get to eat it now or I should fight Beck to the death for the rest of the McDonald's?" She asked softly, humor evident in her voice as her lips grazed Tori’s temple. 

"You're making it gay, they're going to have a meltdown about you being affectionate in public.”

"Who gets the first slice?" Holly grinned, handing Jade a plate with a big fat slice.

"Fuck everyone I'm starving," The older woman only got a muffled thank you after an ungodly sized bite of the defenseless dessert had made it into Jade’s mouth.

It was maybe around the third time Tori annoyingly opened her mouth for Jade to give her a bite - despite having a plate herself - that the singer noticed one of their friends missing. "Where's Beck? Doesn't he want a sli--" A dramatic gasp set silence to the house, all eyes turning to the man now frozen in his spot, wide eyes watching the group, fries falling from his mouth as his drunk ass hands slowly lifted a quarter pounder for that glorious first bite.

_"GET HIM!!"_

Jade had many peculiar interests, which, over the years had developed into useful talents. So, when the thief was spotted, a knife was ripped from her boot and flung in the air in the same fluid motion. Beck, who should have been used to this, fucking shrieked as the sharp blade missed his fingers safely, but ripped the burger from his grip and pinned it to the wall.

"Jesus fucking Christ," Tori breathed out, eyes wide at the sight. She couldn't say the action didn't turn her on a little bit, but Jade would never get the pleasure of knowing that.

Remembering that this was not a high tension action movie moment, Jade had the decency to look sheepish when her eyes found Holly's. "I'll uh, spackle over that?"

The older woman barely managed to hide her amusement, "Remarkably impressive, but if you want any more cake for the rest of your life, no knives in the house." Holly patted her daughter's date on the shoulder, knowing her message had been understood.

Disheartened by the compromise, Jade nodded, walking over to the wall and pulling both knife and burger from it. The blade was cleaned and slid back into her boot before it could be confiscated, and in a show of generosity, half the burger was set on Tori's plate before she resumed devouring her own food.

"Want me to get you some more coffee?" Tori asked softly, a million different pet names dying on her tongue, still too shy to be that affectionate yet, no matter how much she wanted to.

Blue eyes turned to her, "That sounds good, babe." A chaste kiss was stolen, the slip not even noticed by Jade herself.

Tori left with a precious smile across her face, determined to not mess up a simple cup of coffee. She tried to make it special - as much as she could, being a little tipsy as well - with a touch of cinnamon, one sugar and just a little bit of syrup replacing that second spoonful, so it wouldn't be too sweet. 

You’d think she was presenting a masterpiece when the hot mug was placed in Jade’s hand. "Tell me if it's good?"

Jade snuggled into her date's side comfortably, accepting the coffee and taking a slow sip to, delighted at the new taste. Her response was to reward Tori with a slow, lingering kiss, trying not to smile into those sweet lips. When her head came to a rest on the singer's shoulder, they both just took in the chaos that was their friends' existence.

"I missed this," Tori offered after a few moments, smiling at Cat, Beck and André cheering for Robbie and Trina to see which one could chug a beer faster. "All of us together, you know." Brown eyes fell on the girl against her, blue eyes all tired and stomach hopefully full by now. "Although I like it better now."

"Yeah.. it's nice I guess. A bit chaotic but that's why it's good when I'm not too drained to encourage them. I wouldn’t mind doing something like this again, when we’re all free, preferably when Trina is replaced by that puppy. You still gotta meet Homicide, I didn’t have him last time I saw you.” Her voice was a soft murmur as she relaxed against Tori, content to just exist like this for a while.

"Hey, let her be. She's a bitch but she likes you," Tori smiled, a tender kiss pressed to Jade’s temple. At the mention of the pet rat Tori knew way too well from social media, it slowly became a chuckle."That's the most fitting name you could have possibly come up with, I’ll never get over it."

"She is personally responsible for the bubonic plague," Jade mumbled, every bit grumpy, not moving an inch from the comfortable snuggle she found herself in, slowly working on her coffee.

As the night carried on, both girls were coaxed into a few games, and even if the writer enjoyed herself, a breath of relief left when the party came to a close and their friends collected their different rides home. 

"Take me upstairs now, Tori," the words were so softly breathed into her date's ear, a sweet kiss pressed just below it. Blue eyes took in her companion, the girl who had single handedly given her probably the best birthday ever. Well, okay, she obviously had help, but it had been clear it was all Tori's idea.

Tan cheeks turned bright red all over again, squeezing Jade’s hand firmly as she guided them across the living room and past the piano. Saying goodnight to David and Holly, Tori ignored Trina’s jabs at them being gross, running upstairs with Jade.

The door was locked behind them, the younger girl suddenly feeling a bit timid. "It's been a while since you were here," Tori offered, slowly letting go of a pale hand to take a seat in her own bed, shoes kicked off.

"It has," Jade agreed, unzipping her boots and setting them aside. She invited herself to Tori's clothes, finding a soft shirt that’d work for the night. Without a hint of embarrassment or modesty - they'd changed in front of each other how many times now? - Jade peeled off her own shirt, tossing her bra aside moments later before pulling the soft fabric over herself and shedding the rest of her own garments. Looking to Tori, she molded her face into the most serious expression before flinging herself into the bed and stealing every pillow in sight.

There was something truly adorable in seeing Jade West, in nothing but panties and Tori's sleeping shirt, stealing all of her pillows. "You're actually five," she laughed, poking her date's side playfully before getting up to find something comfy herself. The performer was shy, but didn't turn her back to Jade, clumsily stepping out of her dress. She knew as soon as her bra was off that, if Jade was looking, she'd see the hidden tattoo they briefly discussed earlier, a cheeky little smile playing on her lips.

Even if Jade tried to be polite enough to avert her gaze, subtlety flew out the window at the sight of ink on tan skin."Hey, wait," she rolled onto her stomach, elbows propping herself up as she beckoned Tori closer with the cutest pout. "Lemme see, then I'll show you mine." She could make out some of the features but wanted to see up close.

Tori blushed instantly, shyly covering her breasts, "Okay," she murmured quietly, cheeks tinted pink as her hands slowly fell to her sides, exposing both her breasts and the artwork between them and down to the middle of her stomach that took over four hours to create. Coffee eyes watched Jade closely, a mixture of curiosity and excitement at letting the girl see her so closely and intimately.

Taking a warm hand in her own, Jade was gentle, giving her girl a reassuring squeeze as she scooted closer, blue eyes slowly drinking the singer in. “You’re beautiful,” the words were soft, foreign coming from her lips, cold fingertips borderline tender on inked flesh, lazily tracing out the tattoo. "And gay as fuck because is this Sappho herself?"

Tori’s insecurity dissolved easily at the compliment, delicate fingers running through dark, messy curls. "It is, I, uhm.. I actually designed it." She admitted shyly, blush slowly spreading down to her chest because Jade's fingers were so soft and cold and nice and she could see blue eyes struggling not to stare at her breasts and _Jesus._

"So talented," the murmur was nearly inaudible, the older girl allowing herself to fawn over the tattoo a few moments more before finally, reluctantly, looking away from her girl’s chest.

“Let me see yours now?” Tori asked softly, ignoring the way her skin tingled under the praise, throwing a shirt on to sit down with her date. She couldn’t say she wasn’t curious - Jade probably had a few new tattoos she never saw, but the fact that the writer made such a big deal out of this one suggested it was placed somewhere private as well.

 _It’s no big deal, you saw hers, it’s only fair,_ were the thoughts Jade kept reciting to herself as her back fell on the bed. Lifting her hips, her thumbs hooked under the waistband of her panties, slowly guiding them down until the butterfly merging into hip bone structure was revealed, the artwork stopping right above her center. It had been a pain in the ass to get done, but she didn't regret it in the slightest. She couldn't identify why there was a soft heat in her own cheeks and chest as her gaze found Tori's again.

The singer felt like she’d been saved from a heart attack when pale fingers stopped halfway, coffee eyes taking in the detailed tattoo with fascination. "It's so pretty," Tori didn't hesitate in touching, too, delicate fingers tracing inked skin softly, pride growing a little at pale cheeks turning even pinker at the action.

"Thank you," Jade murmured, doing her best to get over how strange it was to be the flustered one for a change, Tori’s fingers leaving goosebumps on their trail.

Even though that tattoo was the one almost nobody had ever seen, it was also the one she was arguably most proud of, the concept behind it taking the most effort too.

"You're precious," The singer thought out loud, a dumb smile dancing on her lips. Gentle fingertips lingered for a few heartbeats before helping her girl pull her underwear back up. Unable to help herself, Tori leaned down to press the softest kiss to a pale stomach, the action earning an indignant huff from Jade who already felt too vulnerable over secretly wishing tan fingers inched _lower._

Because nothing between them was too soft for too long, all it took was a grumpy ‘shut up’ from the writer for the tickle attack to begin. 

“ _Nooo_ , Tori-- what the fuck!” Jade squirmed, whining between giggles, too full of food for this nonsense as her legs slowly wrapped around her girl’s waist, hands grabbing at tan wrists.

Once stopped, it was Tori’s turn to blush at their new position, taking advantage of those pale fingers loosening around her wrists to free herself and grab Jade's instead, pinning them on each side of her head.

Jade hadn’t even had the chance to catch her breath when it hitched in her throat at the sudden change. Blue eyes drank the singer in lazily, not even bothering to move just yet. “Kiss me,” the words were a soft demand, bottom lip caught between her teeth.

Coffee eyes shone softly at the words, falling to those pretty lips for long moments before slowly giving in. This kiss felt different than the ones they'd shared throughout the evening, not eager but definitely more passionate, now that the two were finally alone. Gently, almost timidly, Tori's tongue brushed against her lover's, heart pounding in her chest.

Lazily, Jade sucked on her tongue, kissing the girl atop her with an earnest affection that she couldn't say she'd felt before. Sure, kissing girls was the fucking best, but it was somehow different with Tori, thighs gently squeezing the singer against her body since her hands were still firmly in place. All too soon, every time she’d caught herself thinking about kissing Tori came rushing back to the forefront of her mind, leaving her just as dizzy as all those years ago.

Tori felt just as excited, trying her best not to come off too eager but doing nothing to stop the soft whines released each time those teeth tugged at her bottom lip. She'd waited _so long_ to kiss this dumb idiot too, and now here Jade was, underneath her in her bed, thighs around her waist squeezing her closer and _fuck,_ Tori had never been happier.

Slowly, pale wrists were released, gentle nails trailing down Jade’s forearms as Tori experimentally bit down a bit harder, tugging at the girl’s lip before sucking it softly between her own.

Jade was a little more vocal than Tori expected, a whine of her own rising into the air, pale fingers threading through that wild mane to hold Tori in place against her. Her free hand trailed over the curve of her cheek, fingertips mapping out the sharp line of Tori’s jaw as the writer lied back and let her partner take the lead for a change.

 _‘She’s kissing me. She’s actually kissing me.’,_ Tori’s thoughts were the textbook definition of gay mess, hands caressing up and down her lover’s sides, finally wrapping her head around not needing to hide the way she felt anymore. “I love kissing you,” the singer husked, voice noticeably a few octaves lower, delicate fingertips rising to trail down a pale neck, taking her time tracing defined collarbones.

“Then don’t stop,” a hint of mischief colored Jade’s voice, her own touch lingering along Tori’s throat almost reverently, deciding she could absolutely spend the rest of the night like this and be perfectly happy.

There were subtle hints of desperation slipping from them both, Jade’s body arching into Tori’s when both teeth and nails dug just a little firmer, the younger girl being pulled closer until she was practically flushed against Jade, the vulnerable little sound that slipped from the writer echoing deep within her bones.

“You’re so goddamn beautiful, Jade,” Tori repeated the words breathed to her minutes prior, God herself only knowing how long she’d waited to voice the thought. Coffee eyes were soft and hazy as they drank Jade in, slender fingers resting so lightly against a pale throat, just craving the intimacy of being in close contact so much. Her other hand travelled freely down the girl’s arm, then back up her shoulder, down her chest and-- _shit shit fuck._

"Oh, I'm-- I'm sorry, fuck," Tori blushed furiously, unsure of what to do with her stupid hand on Jade's boob, skin set alight at the quiet gasp the touch earned.

Soft blue eyes pinned the girl in place, a pale chin lifting ever so slightly. Jade lightly arched into the contact, her own hand settled over Tori's before the singer could pull away. "Shut up, you idiot," she chuckled softly, eyes sparkling up at her girl. Jade hoped it was clear enough that the touch was welcome, finding _Hey Vega touch my tit again, it feels good,_ wasn't something she needed to murmur out loud. 

Oh, did Tori shut up alright, lips chasing sweet ones for a slow, passionate kiss, teeth worrying her girl's bottom lip just as her palm grazed a perky nipple through her shirt Jade was wearing - she looked _so hot_ in it, Jesus.

“Do I?” Jade moaned lowly, smirking a little - apparently the thought hadn’t quite stayed in Tori’s mind, but the singer wasn’t given much time to feel mortified over it, sharp nails scraping against her nape, hooded blue eyes gazing up at her before Jade guided her head back so full lips could pay homage to the expanse of a tan throat, a playful little bite finding Tori’s pulse.

For the first time that night, a breathy whimper found Jade's ear, the poor thing trembling on top of her girl, too gay to handle being teased like that. Tori retaliated by cupping both of Jade's breasts - maybe God _was_ real -, giving them a slow squeeze, thumbs circling hardened nipples as she kneaded them gently. Perhaps having her crush arching up into her so willingly was what triggered Tori’s possessive streak, shaky fingers pinching rosy nipples a bit sharper, both hands giving soft skin a firm squeeze.

A broken moan slipped from Jade, thighs tightening around her girl, a delicious thrill rushing through her body at finding out Tori could be territorial, mind racing at all the possibilities that thought opened.

Dark eyes fluttered closed, Tori's own form struggling to stay still, those goddamn sounds making her thighs press tightly and God, she didn't even want to think about how warm her cheeks looked like at that moment. "You sound so good," She husked, voice definitely letting on how much this was affecting her as well. 

Shyly, slender fingers tugged the comfy t-shirt a little higher, slipping under the fabric but stopping right under Jade's breasts, "Is this okay, love?" The soft word slipped easily now, coffee eyes trying to find those blue ones that made her so weak.

Jade would deny the way those words left her warmer than the touch, nodding slowly as she fought to find her words. “Just touch me, Tori,” it was barely above a sigh, words breathed into sweet lips as her hands gripped sharp hips firmly. In a determined motion, Jade rolled them over, sitting so prettily on tan thighs as her gaze took in her girl, signature smirk flashing for a moment.

"You're so hot, babe." Tori couldn't really help the petnames at this point, weak enough to shower Jade in praise, hoping she didn’t mind it. Slowly, shaky hands inched higher under the fabric of her t-shirt, teeth worrying her bottom lip softly as she finally cupped those warm breasts in her palms, fingers toying with Jade's nipples, so eager to find out what her girl liked.

"Look who's.. talking.." Jade breathed out, a moan of near relief slipping halfway, a sweet mewl following at the sharp little tug. Nails pressed into tan shoulders before the writer was leaning down to mark yielding flesh, not exactly concerned about anyone seeing it the next day.

"You're a vision for me, Vega," she breathed out, teeth scraping gently against a racing pulse point, tongue slowly soothing as Tori worked her up faster than was in any means fair.

Tan thighs rubbed together at the mere sight of Jade letting herself go like that, the fact she was allowing Tori to find out what touches she liked and what made her moan the most sending a thrill down her spine. A shaky moan of her own slipped the singer the second Jade’s teeth bit a little firmer, the taunting sound of her surname turning her on much more than it had in the past.

What earned a louder gasp from Tori were sharp teeth nipping her earlobe, so goddamn teasing, one hand leaving a soft breast to find Jade’s hand, timidly slipping it under her own shirt.

The guidance encouraged the older girl's touch to climb higher, fingertips caressing over the valley of her girl's ribs until she was lazily skirting the curve of Tori's breast, being _just a little_ mean before allowing her palm to cup and gently squeeze it. 

"You sound delicious, darling," her lips continued to assault the new weak spot they’d found on that tan throat, pushing down her own needs to focus on the girl under her. There was something unbelievably hot and tender in how shy Tori was to ask to be the one being touched that got to Jade, still not over being allowed to openly cherish this fool.

Tori wasn't even sure what was hotter: Jade's cool, skilled fingers lazily teasing her body or the soft words breathed into her skin. Either way, her own lips pressed to her girl's ear, a sweet, needy moan released right against it, "Jade.." Tori knew she sounded a little desperate, but it wasn't even like she was trying to rush things between them at all. There were just years of pining and pent up feelings and desires, the smallest touch to her flesh intensified tenfold in her mind. 

That moan shot right between pale legs, her name so ardent and a touch desperate on Tori's tongue affecting her more than anything ever had. Her thumb slowly circled a dark nipple, teasing her before so slowly dragging across the duct just as her teeth sank into that sensitive spot again. Every motion was so slow and leisure, Jade in no hurry to try rushing things when she could just enjoy their night together like this. Every touch was new and she was more than content to explore things at a calmer pace.

Quivering lips chased Jade's over and over again, craving her kiss and hoping the older girl wouldn't notice how flustered she was, pitiful little whines and moans filling the room as her chest arched into pale hands, demanding more attention.

"You’re killing me.." Tori whispered shyly, eventually needing to catch a breath. Her cheeks felt heated and her hair was a mess and her eyes were hooded as she gazed up at her lover, all mesmerized and visibly turned on. She didn't expect to get this shy, but then again, she didn’t expect to end her night making out with Jade West either.

"Don’t die on me yet, there’s so many ways I could ruin you," came Jade's silken purr, a kiss finding Tori’s nose as she gently pinched the captive nipple between her fingers. Sitting back slightly, her free hand gently wandered to the neglected breast, massaging and tenderly kneading warm flesh slowly. Her lips and tongue ached to join in the torment, but her thoughts once again whispered there would be more than enough time for that another night, that tonight was just about enjoying these firsts.

Try as she might to keep her reactions under control, Tori still whimpered, eyes fluttering closed to gather herself before sitting back up slowly. Keeping one arm firm around her lover’s waist, shaky fingers toyed with Jade’s nipple, feeling a little braver than before.

Her own lips found soft pale skin once more, long, open-mouthed kisses trailing up Jade's neck, smiling lazily at the low moan she earned.

"Tori.." it was the sweetest mewl to leave the writer yet, heated body pressed to Tori’s, mouth ghosting where the singer's neck met her shoulder, pale hips rolling so tantalizingly slow just to torment the poor girl a little. Blue eyes gazed at her girl with such lazy warmth, adoration threatening to come to the surface, more than content with what this idiot was making her feel.

Tori’s hand offered one last gentle squeeze before pulling away, both arms resting safely around Jade’s body, weak in the knees at the tenderness she found in that gaze, heart pounding in her chest at the realization that _she’s here, she’s mine. She wants me._

"Kiss me again," Jade whispered, a hint of vulnerability in her voice as her own hands gently fell to Tori's sides, shamelessly leaning into the warm embrace.

Sweet lips took a minute to grant Jade her wish, first trailing lazy kisses up her girl's shoulder, her neck.. both of those tinted cheeks before finally rewarding Jade with a kiss.

Strong arms wrapped around Tori's neck, keeping her in place. A smirk on her lips was the only warning before Jade was shifting her weight to push Tori back into the pillows, lying down with her.

The singer grunted, laughing freely because goddamn, was she happy. It was impossible to even begin to count the amount of times she imagined the two of them like this.. the number of nights she cried a little into her pillow, listening to nostalgic playlists that reminded her way too much of those deep blue eyes that never stopped haunting her, praying to whatever existed out there to make all those stupid feelings she held for Jade go the hell away - it wasn’t worth it to hold onto a stupid teenage crush, Jade would never see her like that, Tori thought.

Now here they were, cuddling in Tori’s childhood bed, hearts still racing after making out for who knows how long?

“You’re getting sappy in your thoughts, I can tell.” Jade teased, stealing Tori’s pillow almost entirely to herself, pulling her closer before she could complain too much.

“You’re _literally_ the one clinging to me. Pretty sure if I got up now and left the room you’d cry.” Tori shot back, nuzzling a pale neck. She might have gotten quicker with her comebacks over the years and learned not to squirm so much when her crush mocked her, but Jade wasn’t wrong. So it wasn’t like Tori had much to lose getting cheesy again, right? “Happy birthday, you idiot.”

“Fuck, not again. I won’t go through another party unless there’s more cake.”

“You can’t be serious.”

“I’m hungry!”

“Shut up and kiss me.”

  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Hope you all enjoyed it! I know I'm soft as hell.  
> Also, I won't apologize for the blue balls. Let them take their sweet time.
> 
> Please share your thoughts, comments literally light up my world. :)


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